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I LET  EVERYONE  HELP  TO  SAVE  THE  FAMOUS  HETCH- 

HETCHY  VALLEY 

AND 

STOP  THE  COMMERCIAL  DESTRUCTION  WHICH 
THREATENS  OUR  NATIONAL  PARKS 

To  the  American  Public: 

The  famous  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley,  next 
to  Yosemite  the  most  wonderful  and  important 
feature  of  our  Yosemite  National  Park,  is 
again  in  danger  of  being  destroyed.  Year 
after  year  attacks  have  been  made  on  this 
Park  under  the  guise  of  development  of 
natural  resources.  At  the  last  regular  ses- 
sion of  Congress  the  most  determined  attack 
of  all  was  made  by  the  City  of  San  Francisco 
to  get  possession  of  the  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley 
as  a reservoir  site,  thus  defrauding  ninety 
millions  of  people  for  the  sake  of  saving 
San  Francisco  dollars. 

As  soon  as  this  scheme  became  manifest, 
public-spirited  citizens  all  over  the  country 
poured  a storm  of  protest  on  Congress.  Be- 
fore the  session  was  over,  the  Park  invaders 
saw  that  they  were  defeated  and  permitted 
the  bill  to  die  without  bringing  it  to  a 
vote,  so  as  to  be  able  to  try  again. 

The  bill  has  been  re-introduced  and 
will  be  urged  at  the  coming  session  of  Con- 
gress, which  convenes  in  December.  Let  all 
those  who  believe  that  our  great  national 
wonderlands  should  be  preserved  unmarred  as 
places  of  rest  and  recreation  for  the  use  of 
all  the  people,  now  enter  their  protests. 

Ask  Congress  to  reject  this  destructive  bill, 
and  also  urge  that  the  present  Park  laws  be 
so  amended  as  to  put  an  end  to  all  such 
assaults  on  our  system  of  National  Parks. 

Faithfully  yours. 


November,  1909. 

Read  carefully  pp.  20-21  and  help  to  save  the  Park. 


A BRIEF  STATEMENT  OF  THE  HETCH-HETCHY  CASE 

TO  DATE. 

(Pages  refer  to  more  complete  information  contained  in  other 
portions  of  this  pamphlet.) 

The  Yosemite  National  Park  is  not  only  the  greatest  and  most  won- 
derful national  playground  in  California,  but  in  many  of  its  features' it 
is  without  a rival  in  the  whole  world.  It  belongs  to  the  American 
people  and  is  among  their  most  priceless' possessions.  In  world  wide 
interest  it  ranks  with  the  Yellowstone  and  the  Grand  Canyon  oTthe 
Colorado.  The  Yosemite  Park  embraces  the  headwaters  of  two  rivers 
• — the  Merced  and  the  Tuolumne.  The  Yosemite  Valley  is  in  the 
Merced  basin,  and  the  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley,  the  Grand  Canyon  of  the 
Tuolumne,  and  the  Tuolumne  Meadows  are  in  the  Tuolumne  basin. 
Excepting  only  the  Yosemite  Valley,  the  Tuolumne  basin  is  the  finer 
and  larger  half  of  the  Park.  Practically  all  of  the  Tuolumne  basin 
drains  directly  into  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley,  which  is  a wonderfully  exact 
counterpart  of  the  great  Yosemite,  not  only  in  its  crystal  river,  sublime 
cliffs  and  waterfalls,  but  in  the  gardens,  groves,  and  meadows  of  its 
flowery  park-like  floor.  This  park-like  floor  is  especially  adapted  for 
pleasure  camping,  and  is  the  focus  of  all  the  trails  from  both  the  north 
and  the  south  which  lead  into  and  through  this  magnificent  camp 
ground. 

The  Yosemite  National  Park  was  created  in  1890  by  Congress  in 
order  that  this  great  natural  wonderland  should  be  preserved  in  pure 
wildness  for  all  time  for  the  benefit  of  the  entire  nation.  The  Yosemite 
Valley  was  already  preserved  in  a State  Parle,  and  the  National  Park 
was  created  primarily  to  protect  the  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  and  Tuol- 
umne Meadows  from  invasion. 

In  spite  of  the  fact  that  this  is  a national  property  dedicated  as  a 
public  park  for  all  time  in  which  every  citizen  of  the  United  States 
has  a direct  interest,  certain  individuals  in  San  Francisco  conceived 
the  idea  that  here  would  be  an  opportunity  to  acquire  a water  supply 
for  the  city  at  the  expense  of  the  nation.  They  made  application  to 
the  late  Plon.  E.  A.  Hitchcock,  then  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  for  the 
privilege  of  using  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  and  Lake  Eleanor  as  reservoir 
sites  from  which  to  draw  a municipal  supply  of  water.  After  giving 
the  question  careful  consideration,  he  denied  these  rights  on  January 
20,  1903,  and  on  a rehearing  again  emphatically  denied  them  December 
22,  -1903.  (P.  10.)  Thereupon  a bill  designed  to  override  Secretary 

Llitchcock’s  decision  was  introduced  in  Congress  but  the  Committee 
on  Public  Lands  refused  to  give  it  standing.  The  matter  was  again 
taken  up  with  the  President,  who  referred  it  to  Hon.  Victor  H.  Met- 
calf, then  Secretary  of  Commerce  and  Labor.  He  upheld  Secretary 
Hitchcock’s  opinion  and  again  denied  the  right  of  the  city  to  enter  a 
national  park.  When  Hon.  James  R.  Garfield  became  Secretary  of 
the  Interior,  the  city  advocates  renewed  their  efforts  to  have  these 
riglits  granted  which  had  l)cen  so  many  times  refused,  and  at  last  pre- 
vailed. Secretary  Garfield  on  May  11,  1Q08,  rendered  an  opinion  so 
prejudicial  to  tlie  interests  of  the  American  public  in  their  National 
Parks,  as  to  practically  nullify  the  whole  national  park  policy  and  throw 
those  great  public  playgrounds  open  to  all  kinds  of  destructive  in- 
vasion from  local  and  comparatively  private  interests.  Fortunately 
the  rights  granted  by  Secretary  Garfield,  if  they  possess  any  legality 

Read  carefully  pp.  20-21  and  help  to  save  the  Park. 


2 


C^' 

‘ O 

at  all  (p.  n)  are  revocable  at  the  discretion  of  any  Secretary  of  the 
Interior.  Armed  with  this  Garfield  permit  to  flood  the  Hetch-Hetchy 
Valley  and  destroy  its  use  as  a public  playground,  the  Park  invaders 
again  applied  to  Congress  in  December,  1908,  to  confirm  Garfield’s 
action  and  render  it  irrevocable  by  securing  title  to  the  floor  of  Hetch- 
Hetchy  in  fee  simple.  The  matter  was  referred  to  the  Public  Lajids 
Committees  of  the  House  and  Senate  for  recommendation.  While  a 
majority  vote  of  eight  in  the  House  Committee  favored  the  abandon- 
ment of  this  priceless  national  property,  there  were  seven  who  voted 
against  it,  and  one  other  member  later  joined  the  minority,  making  the 
vote  a tie.  (P.  22.)  Many  friends  of  the  National  Park  system  were 
ready  to  champion  the  people’s  cause  if  the  bill  had  reached  the  floor 
of  the  House,  but  the  closing  days  of  the  session  made  it  impossible  to 
have  the  bill  brought  up.  Before  the  Senate  Committee  the  bill  did  not 
fare  as  well  and  it  became  known  that,  if  brought  to  a vote,  the  result 
would  have  been  unfavorable  to  San  Francisco  and  this  would  have 
been  fatal  to  future  attempts  to  pass  the  bill.  Therefore,  the  bill  died 
with  the  Sixtieth  Congress.  • 

The  same  bill  has  been  re-introduced  in  the  present  Congress,  and 
a last  desperate  attempt  to  force  it  through  will  be  made. 

If  San  Francisco  could  not  obtain  pure  water  elsewdiere,  this  great 
national  sacrifice  might  be  justified,  but  hydraulic  engineers  of  un- 
questioned standing  have  reported  on  many  other  adequate  and  avail- 
able sources.  In  this  respect,  probably,  no  large  city  in  the  world  is 
more  favorably  situated.  (Pp.  4-6.) 


The  unnecessary  destruction  of  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  is  being  opposed  by  the 

SOCIETY  FOR  THE  PRESERVATION  OF  NATIONAL  PARKS 
AMERICAN  CIVIC  ASSOCIATION 
AMERICAN  SCENIC  AND  HISTORIC  PRESERVATION  SOCIETY 
PLAYGROUND  ASSOCIATION  OF  AMERICA 
GENERAL  FEDERATION  OF  WOMEN’S  CLUBS 
- CALIFORNIA  AND  OTHER  STATE  FEDERATIONS  OF  WOMEN’S 
^ CLUBS 

AMERICAN  ALPINE  CLUB 
" SIERRA  CLUB  OF  CALIFORNIA 

APPALACHIAN  MOUNTAIN  CLUB  OF  BOSTON 
MAZAMAS  OF  PORTLAND 
MOUNTAINEERS  OF  SEATTLE 
CHICAGO  GEOGRAPHICAL  SOCIETY 
SATURDAY  WALKING  CLUB  OF  CHICAGO 

And  innumerable  other  leading  Clubs  throughout  America 

....  to  permit  a municipal  corporation  to  intrench  itself  in  the 
_Yosemite  National  Park,  no  matter  how  good  that  corporation  prom- 
"ises  to  be,  seems  to  “The  Outlook”  an  indefensible  and  dangerous 
piece  of  inconsistency  which  will  be  thoroughly  bad  not  only  in  its 
immediate  effect  but  as  a precedent  for  future  action. — Editorial  in 
N.  Y.  “Outlook,”  January  80,  1909^3 

"Where  is  the  justice  in  taking  what  has  been  already  dedicated  to 
the  American  public  merely  to  save  San  Francisco’s  dollars? 

Read  carefully  pp.  20-21  and  help  to  save  the  Park. 


3 


MANY  OTHER  WATER  SUPPLIES  ARE  AVAILABLE  EOR 

SAN  FRANCISCO. 

‘Tet  ns  say  at  once  that  we  hold  human  life  more  sacred  than  scenery, 
than  even  great  natural  wonderlands,  vastly  as  they  contribute  to  save  life 
and  promote  happiness;  and  if  that  were  the  issue,  if  San  Francisco  could 
. not  otherwise  obtain  an  abundant  water  supply,  we  should  be  willing  to 
dedicate  to  that  purpose  not  only  Hetch-Hetchy,  but  even  the  incomparable 
Yosemite  itself.” — Editorial  by  R.  U.  Johnson  in  “Century  Magazine.” 

One  of  the  first  questions  asked  by  those  seeking  information  on  this 
subject  is  whether  there  are  other  supplies  available  for  the  use  of  San 
Francisco.  There  are  many.  We  have  always  favored  going  to  the 
mountains  for  pure  water. 

Look  at  a map  of  California.  San  Francisco  is  situated  near  the 
confluence  of  the  two  great  rivers  of  the  State, — the  Sacramento  and 
the  San  Joaquin.  Tributary  to  these  rivers  and  flowing  west  toward 
San  Francisco  down  the  Sierra  are  several  large  rivers,  (among  them 
the  Tuolumne)  any  one  of  which  will  furnish  ample  water  for  San 
Francisco.  North  and  South  of  San  Francisco  along  the  coast  many 
streams  waste  their  waters  in  the  ocean.  It  is  doubtful  whether  any 
other  city  in  the  world  of  the  size  of  San  Francisco  has  so  many 
available  water  supplies.  It  is  ridiculous  to  assert  that  the  only  water 
available  for  San  Francisco  runs  down  the  Tuolumne  shingle  of  the 
great  Sierra  roof. 

WHAT  OUR  OPPONENTS  AND  EMINENT  ENGINEERS  SAY 
ABOUT  OTHER  WATER  SUPPLIES. 

C.  E.  Grunsky,  former  city  engineer  of  San  Francisco,  and  sometimes  referred 
to  as  the  “Father  of  the  Hetch-Hetchy  system,^’  says : 

“In  the  case  of  San  Francisco,  there  is  no  single  source  of  supply  so 
pre-eminently  available  that  it  could  without  question  rule  out  others  from 
comparison.” — />.  15  of  Reports  on  Water  Supplies  of  San  Francisco,  1908; 
p.  385  House  Committee  Hearings,  January  21,  1909. 

Professor  C.  D.  Marx,  one  of  the  city’s  hydraulic  experts,  has  stated  that  • 

“It  can  readily  be  shown  that  the  drainage  area  needed  for  a water  supply 
capable  of  furnishing  200,000,000  gallons  per  day  can  be  had  on  a number 
of  the  Sierra  streams.  . . . That  the  drainage  areas  of  streams  north  of 
the  Tuolumne  give  better  promise  of  meeting  these  requirements,  cannot 
be  denied.  ...  It  cannot  be  said  that  the  physical  data  now  available  are 
such  as  to  admit  of  a reliable  comparison  of  the  relative  values  of  the 
various  sources  of  water  supply  for  San  Francisco  from  the  Sierras.” — 
Transactions  of  Commonzvealth  Club,  June,  1907. 

“Mr.  Phelan — There  are  no  less  than  half  a dozen  water  supplies  from 
the  Sierras.  . . . Mr.  Hammond — We  have  listened  to  the  engineers,  but 
T did  not  understand  that  the  Tuolumne  is  the  only  Sierra  supply.  Mr. 
Phelan — By  no  means.” — Testimony  before  the  Public  Lands  Committee 
of  the  House,  January  21,  1909,  p.  342. 

“Without  a doubt  the  city  can  obtain  water  from  half  a dozen  other 
sources  which  are  now  owned  by  private  interests.  . . .” — p.  36. 

“It  is  simpfi^  a question  of  which  of  the  various  sources  of  supply  is  the 
best  one  for  the  city  of  San  Francisco  to  take.  . . T — p.  38. 

“Without  doubt  the  citv  has  the  right,  under  California  law,  to  condemn.” 
— p.  38.  Secretary  Gardcld  in  hearing  before  Public  Lands  Committee  of 
House,  January  9,  1909. 

“We  do  not  deny  that  there  are  other  sources  of  supply  up  and  down 
the  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains.  . . .” — /.  D.  Galloway,  p.  387,  Hearings, 
January  21,  1909. 

Read  carefully  pp.  30-21  and  help  to  save  the  Park. 


4 


In  a brief  filed  by  the  San  Francisco  city  attorneys  in  June,  1909,  in  the  United 
States  Circuit  Court,  Ninth  Circuit,  Equity  Case  No.  13,395,  appears  the  follow- 
ing language  used  in  behalf  of  the  city  in  that  suit  (pp.  520-523)  ; 

“The  testimony  discloses  that  several  other  substitutes  (for  the  Tuolumne 
system)  are  available  for  the  use  of  San  Francisco.”  . . . (Elaborate  quota- 
tions  from  the  testimony  are  made  to  demonstrate  this  fact.)  “It  appears 
from  the  evidence,  therefore,  that  the  Tuolumne  is  but  one  of  the  several 
possible  sources  from  which  a substitutional  supply  might  be  obtained.” 

“When  you  consider  the  matter  of  money  alone,  there  are  available 
quite  a number  of  sites  and  a number  of  sources,  probably  more  than  a 
dozen.” — Marsdcn  Alaiison,  City  Engineer  of  San  Franeiseo,  Senate  Hear- 
ings, p.  123. 

James  D.  Schuyler,  hydraulic  engineer  of  Los  Angeles,  says  that  there  are 
“A  number  of  other  available  sources  of  water  supply  for  San  Francisco.” 
— Hearings,  January  20,  1908,  p.  307. 

“ ...  It  is  feasible  to  provide  an  ample  supply  of  pure  water  for  San 
Francisco  from  nearer  sources  (than  the  Hetch-Hetchy)  by  works  which 
would  be  much  more  economical,  efficient,  and  reliable.  . . . They  can  be 
developed  to  supply  all  the  water  required  for  the  next  40  or  more  years.” 
— Frederiek  P.  Stearns,  Chief  Engineer  of  the  M etropolitan  Water  Board 
that  supplies  Boston  {pp.  308,  31 1,  Journal  of  the  Association  of  Engineer- 
ing Societies,  December,  1908).  Schuyler  and  Stearns  were  consulting 
engineers  on  the  Panama  Canal. 

“I  do  not  consider  that  the  Tuolumne  (Hetch-Hetchy)  supply  would 
furnish  a greater  quantity  of  water,  nor  a water  of  better  quality,  than  can 
be  obtained  from  near,er  sources.” — Rudolph  Hering,  the  hydraulic  en- 
gineer of  New  York  and  Philadelphia  {testimony  in  Equity  Case  No. 

13,395). 

Colonel  W.  H.  Heuer,  U.  S.  A.  Engineer  and  chairman  of  the  Executive  Com- 
mittee of  the  Federated  Water  Committee  of  San  Francisco,  states  that  the 
present  nearby  sources 

“Can  be  increased  by  additional  dams  and  raising  some  existing  dams,  so 
as  to  supply  considerable  more  than  100  million  gallons  per  day,  or  more 
than  enough  to  supply  the  wants  of  San  Francisco  during  the  next  forty 
years,  and  at  reasonable  cost.  . . . Engineers  who  made  surveys  of  Lake 
Eleanor  and  Hetch-Hetchy  inform  me  that  there  are  other  Sierra  supplies 
which  can  be  brought  here  at  much  less  cost  than  Hetch-Hetchy.  The 
latter  by  persistent  advocates  has  been  preached,  almost  forced,  into  ac- 
ceptance by  the  people  of  San  Francisco.” — San  Francisco  Merchants’  As- 
sociation Review,  July,  1908. 

This  view  receives  further  corroboration  from  C.  E.  Grunsky  (pp.  164-6, 
Sept.  ’08,  Journal  of  the  Association  of  Engineering  Societies),  Prof.  Geo.  David- 
son, U.  S.  Coast  and  Geodetic  Survey,  and  other  engineers.  San  Francisco  now 
uses  only  35,000,000  gallons  per  day. 

On  the  Feather  River  is  the  Big  Meadows  reservoir  site  of  about  20,000  acres. 
At  the  outlet  of  the  Meadows  the  topography  is  such  that  by  the  construction 
of  a comparatively  small  dam  a storage  reservoir  can  be  created  which  will  be 
one  of  the  largest  artificial  bodies  of  water  in  the  world,  having  a capacity  of 
over  280,000  million  gallons,  or  four  times  the  greatest  capacity  of  the  Hetch- 
Hetchy  reservoir.  This  water  could  be  brought  to  San  Francisco  if  necessary. 

DEFEND  OUR  NATIONAL  PARKS. 

The  precedent  involved  is  one  most  dangerous  to  the  welfare  of  the  national 
parks  generally,  and  the  establishment  of  a reservoir  in  Hetch-Hetchy  will  compel 
a tremendous  sacrifice  in  notable  scener}^  and  in  public  recreation  grounds. 

Every  citizen  who  believes  in  preserving  the  integrity  of  our  national  parks, 
everyone  who  regards  these  scenic  treasures  as  national  resources,  hitherto 
supposed  to  be  safeguarded  for  the  benefit  of  all  the  people,  should  protest. 

Object  to  the  surrender  of  any  public  land  in  any  national  park,  and  urge  the 
need  of  extinguishing  all  private  claims  through  purchase  by  the  government. — 
By  Appalachian  Mountain  Club. 

Read  carefully  pp.  20-21  and  help  to  save  the  Park. 


5 


A DOZEN  SOURCES  OF  WATER  SUPPLY  ARE  AVAILABLE  FOR 

SAN  FRANCISCO. 


1.  Advantage  of  the  STANISLAUS  RIVER  as  a source  of  supply  for  San 
Francisco: — Collecting  basin  “adequate  in  area,  with  pure  waters”  (Marsden 
Manson,  City  Engineer).  River  rises  in  high  granite  mountains  similar  to 
Tuolumne  and  not  in  a national  park.  No  scenery  comparable  to  Hetch-Hetchy, 
Tuolumne  Canon  and  Meadows,  hence  no  danger  of  contamination  from  increas- 
ing tourist  travel ; rainfall  heavy ; watershed  protected  by  forest  reserve ; pipe 
line  to  city  shorter  than  to  Tuolumne  supply;  ample  storage  at  Donald’s  Flat, 
Relief,  and  Kennedy  reservoir  sites ; dams  already  constructed  by  Stanislaus 
Power  Co.,  and  to  be  constructed,  thus  insuring  uniform  maximum  flow  of 
water.  Power  company  will  sell  ample  power  to  pump  water  over  coast  range 
practically  at  cost.  Saving  by  having  dams  and  power  plants  already  built  will 
offset  the  comparatively  small  cost  involved  in  purchasing  full  right  to  water. 
Company  has  guaranteed  water  rights  and  supply  of  water  equal  to  all  of  city’s 
requirements.  City  has  paid  no  attention  to  offer  to  build  system  and  deliver 
water  for  ten  per  cent  added  to  bare  cost. 

2.  Advantages  of  the  EEL  RIVER  as  a source  of  supply. — Uninhabited 
mountain  watershed  in  forest  reserve,  325  square  miles  tributary  to  diversion 
point;  268  square  miles  tributary  to  Gravelly  Valley  reservoir;  water  rights 
guaranteed  perfect ; average  annual  rainfall,  50  to  60  inches ; capacity  of  reservoir 
with  150-foot  dam,  70,000  million  gallons,  or  twice  the  capacity  of  Hetch-Hetchy 
Valley  with  the  same  height  of  dam;  dam  crest,  600  feet;  1500  feet  of  drifts 
already  run  demonstrate  good  character  of  dam  foundation ; lOO-foot  dam  will 
be  completed  by  fall  of  1911;  tunnel  already  constructed  diverts  flow  to  Russian 
River  basin.  Water  can  be  diverted  at  waste  gates  or  allowed  to  flow  down 
Russian  River  to  Cloverdale  gravel  beds  and  filtered  naturally  and  piped  to  San 
Francisco  via  San  Pedro  and  San  Pablo  Point  crossing.  This  crossing  can  be 
accomplished  by  flexible  pipe  lines  similar  to  those  which  have  been  in  service 
at  Dumbarton  for  twenty  years.  San  Pablo  crossing  is  only  a little  longer  and 
deeper,  and  cost  of  lines  carrying  60  million  gallons  daily  has  been  estimated  to 
be  only  about  $1,500,000.  Distance  to  distributing  reservoirs  less  than  Tuolumne. 
Gravity  system  following  California  and  Northwestern  Railroad  grade,  saving 
excessive  costs  of  transportation  and  heavy  pipe.  Water  would  be  taken 
through  Berkeley  and  Oakland,  thus  supplying  all  bay  cities  at  smallest  expense. 
A.  M.  Hunt,  an  engineer  familiar  with  water  problems  of  San  Francisco,  reports 
that  this  water  supply  is  ample  and  can  be  brought  to  the  city  for  one-half  the 
expense  of  bringing  in  an  equal  amount  from  Tuolumne  system.  Power  company 
offered  to  sell  water  rights  to  city  for  very  small  figure,  but  city  paid  no  attention 
to  offer. 

3.  Pumping  from  SAN  JOAQUIN  RIVER  as  source  of  supply. — When  nearby 
sources  (which  unbiased  engineers  report  can  be  developed  to  three  times  present 
daily  use  of  city)  are  exhausted,  by  pumping  from  San  Joaquin  River  just  below 
Altamont,  city  can  secure  all  the  additional  water  she  wants  free  oi  cost ; can 
filter  to  any  degree  of  purity ; saving  in  head  works,  length  of  pipe  line,  rights^  of 
way,  water  rights,  power  plants,  etc.,  would  more  than  offest  fixed  pumping 
charge  and  cost  of  filtration.  Supply  is  always  available  and  need  not  be 
resorted  to  until  necessity  arises. 


-SACRAMENTO  RIVER. 


9. _mokelumne  river. 

10. —COSUMNES  RIVER. 

1 1.  —CLEAR  LAKE. 

12. — BAY  SHORE  GRAVELS. 


-LAKE  TAHOE. 

-YUBA  RIVER. 

7. — EEATPIER  RIVER. 

8. — AMERICAN  RIVER. 

13.— PRESENT  SUPPLY  ADDED  TO  SAN  GREGORIO,  PUR 
ISSIMA,  PESCADERO,  CALAVERAS,  ALAMEDA,  Etc. 


We  do  not  contend  that  all  of  these  supplies  are  suitable,  but  many 
of  them  are. 


....  while  the  Yosemite  National  Park  might  very  properly  be 
sacrificed  to  save  the  lives  and  health  of  the  citizens  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, it  ought  not  to  be  sacrificed  to  save  their  dollars. — Editorial  in 
N.  Y.  “Outlook,”  January  30,  1909. 


Read  carefully  pp.  20-21  and  help  to  save  the  Park. 


6 


THE  EFFECT  OF  USING  HETCH-HETCHY  AS  A MUNI- 
CIPAL RESERVOIR. 

Direct  Effect. — To  flood  the  floor  of  the  valley  as  proposed  will 
destroy  its  use  by  the  public.  The  floor  of  this  valley  is  four  and  a 
half  miles  long,  averaging  half  a mile  in  width  and  almost  level.  It  is 
beautifully  wooded,  being  pronounced  by  Mr.  George  Frederick 
Schwarz,  forestry  and  landscape  expert,  who  studied  in  forest  schools 
of  France  and  Germany,  after  a careful  examination,  as  “the  most 
beautiful  natural  parkland”  he  had  ever  seen,  and  that  in  its  wonderful 
forest  growth  of  great  variety  and  magniflcenf  development  it  sur- 
passed the  Yosemite  Valley  itself. 

IT  IS  A PARADISE  FOR  CAMPERS  AND  CAN  ACCOM- 
MODATE TPIOUSANDS. 

It  is  one  of  the  three  great  camp  grounds  in  the  Park — the  others 
being  Yosemite  Valley  and  Tuolumne  Meadows.  All  of  the  trails  in 
this  portion  of  the  Park  radiate  from  Fletch-Hetchy.  It  is  the  natural 
gateway  to  the  wonderfully  beautiful  mountain  region  lying  east  and 
north  of  the  valley.  The  walls  of  the  valley  are  steep,  perpendicular 
Yosemite-like  cliffs.  The  Commonwealth  Club  of  San  Francisco, 
through  a committee  appointed  to  investigate  this  very  question, 
recently  reported  as  follows : 

“More  important  than  the  loss  of  scenic  beauties  we  consider  the  loss  of 
the  opportunities  of  public  enjoyment  of  them.  At  present  any  one  may  go 
and  freely  camp  in  the  Hetch-Hctchy  Valley  and  stay  as  long  as  his  in- 
clination permits.  If  the  valley  is  made  into  a reservoir,  however,  the 
camping-grounds  will  be  destroyed  as  a place  to  visit,  and  the  Hetch- 
Hetchy  Valley  will  have  been  taken  from  the  camper’s  map.  . . . 

“The  importance  of  the  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  as  an  entrance  path  into 
the  upper  Sierras  has  been  very  strongly  urged  by  those  who  presented 
their  objections  to  Congress.  While  Hetch-Hetchy  is  now  used  for  such  a 
purpose  by  but  few,  it  is  probable  that  it  would  be  so  used  by  a very  much 
larger  number  in  the  future,  if  the  valley  remained  available.  To  the  extent 
that  this  is  true,  the  flooding  of  the  valley  is  a serious  matter  to  the 
mountain-climber.  It  is  the  natural  camping  base  and  the  natural  place 
for  rest  and  recuperation  from  fatiguing  journeys  into  the  upper  territory.” 

Imagine  the  floor  of  Yosemite  Valley  flooded!  Where  would  there 
be  the  possibility  of  visiting  the  place  and  enjoying  it.  Every  argu- 
ment in  favor  of  flooding  Hetch-FIetchy  is  equally  applicable  to  flood- 
ing Yosemite  itself.  There  are  no  camping  possibilities  on  or  near 
the  steep  walls  or  cliffs  of  Hetch-Hetchy.  There  is  one  small  shelf 
above  the  lower  end  of  the  valley  where  a few  could  be  accommodated. 
Feed  for  animals  would  last  but  a few  days.  The  Superintendent  of 
the  Park  informed  us  that  though  he  wished  to  do  so,  he  could  not 
camp  there  for  lack  of  drinking  water,  which  disappears  early  in  the 
season.  Along  the  traveled  approach  to  the  valley,  the  nearest  camp- 
ing places  for  parties  of  any  considerable  size  are  from  eight  to  ten 
miles  distant. 

....  If  the  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  is  turned  into  a reservoir,  it 
will  be  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  the  city  of  San  Francisco  with 
water  for  drinking,  washing  and  industrial  purposes.  These  pur- 
poses cannot  be  hygienically  carried  out  without  careful  supervision, 
not  only  of  the  Tuolumne  River  and  the  beautiful  camping  meadows 
near  its  head,  but  also  of  the  watersheds  on  the  north  and  south. — 
Editorial  in  N.  Y.  “Outlook,”  January  30,  1909. 

Read  carefully  pp.  20-21  and  help  to  save  the  Park. 


7 


TRAVEL  INTO  THE  ENTIRE  TUOLUMNE  WATERSHED,  BY 
FAR  THE  FINER  HALF  OF  THE  PARK,  WOULD 
BE  JEOPARDIZED. 

Indirect  Effect. — Five  hundred  square  miles  of  the  Park  drain 
directly  into  the  proposed  municipal  system.  Immediately  above  the 
valley  itself  and  extending  to  the  very  source  of  the  Tuolumne  River, 
which  flows  through  the  Hetch-Hetchy,  is  the  most  wonderful  scenery 
in  the  Park,  including  as  it  does  the  Grand  Canyon  of  the  Tuolumne, 
nearly  a mile  deep,  with  its  stupendous  cliffs  and  waterfalls,  and  the 
magnificent  Tuolumne  Meadows  at  the  head  of  the  canyon,  which  are 
by  far  the  most  delightful  and  interesting  high  mountain  camp  grounds 
in  the  High  Sierra.  Travel  to  all  of  these  natural  wonders  will  be 
restricted  if  a municipal  water  system  is  allowed  to  store  water  which 
drains  from  these  camp  grounds. 

Marsden  Manson,  the  city  engineer,  in  an  official  report  on  this  sys- 
tem says  “that  at  no  time  in  the  future  can  conditions  arise  tending  to 
impair  the  purity  of  the  water  flowing  therefrom,  zv'hich  can  not  he 
rigidly  controlled.’'  Think  of  a city  controlling  all  the  people  of  the 
United  States  in  their  enjoyment  of  their  own  park! 

“Argument  is  scarcely  necessary  to  indicate  the  impossibility  of  permitting 
public  access  to  a reservoir  intended  to  furnish  a domestic  water  supply  to  any 
large  center  of  population.  The  danger  of  pollution  which  would  thus  result 
would  make  the  water  supply  thus  acquired  a menace  instead  of  a benefit  to  the 
people  of  the  city  involved  One  case  of  ‘walking  typhoid’  on  the  borders  of  the 
lake  proposed  to  be  established  as  a reservoir  could  start  an  epidemic  of  typhoid 
fever  in  the  city  to  be  supposedly  benefited,  causing  the  loss  of  hundreds  of  inno- 
cent lives.  Countless  experiences  prove  the  correctness  of  this  statement.  The 
city  of  Reading,  Pennsylvania,  has  had  eight  hundred  cases  of  typhoid  fever 
within  less  than  eight  weeks  through  the  pollution  of  a supposedly  guarded 
water  supply.  The  epidemics  at  Plymouth,  at  Ithaca  and  elsewhere  are  well- 
known  to  have  resulted  from  exactly  the  conditions  which  might  be  expected  in 
respect  to  the  city  of  San  Francisco.  It  is  thus  apparent  that  full  public  access 
to  the  lake  and  the  valley  in  which  it  shall  be  created  can  not  be  had  if  the  health 
of  the  people  of  the  city  of  San  Francisco  is  of  any  importance  to  those  who  are 
seeking  this  water  suppl}''. 

“Not  only  in  the  reservoir  itself  would  danger  from  pollution  exist,  but  a 
greater  danger  would  arise  through  the  possible  pollution  of  the  watershed  feed- 
ing the  reservoir  proposed.  A single  case  of  ‘walking-typhoid’  again  affecting  a 
camper,  or  stroller,  or  ordinary  visitor,  who  had  acquired  that  typhoid  on  his 
way  into  the  park,  could  make  the  proposed  water  supply  a source  of  desperate 
danger  to  the  city  supposed  to  be  benefitted.  Nothing  is  better  established  in 
modern  sanitary  science  than  that  the  watershed  of  any  domestic  water  supply 
must  be  jealously  guarded  and  kept  free  from  human  occupancy  at  all  times  if 
that  water  supply  is  to  result  in  other  than  the  dissemination  of  disease  and  the 
bringing  about  of  untimely  death.  No  suggestion  is  made  that  the  city  of  San 
Francisco  has  considered  the  filtration  of  the  supposed  water  supply  just  pre- 
ceding its  use,  but  much  urgency  is  put  upon  the  purity  of  the  supply  which  is  to 
be  obtained  within  the  Yosemite  National  Park.  It  is  therefore  obvious  that  if 
this  purity  is  to  be  maintained,  the  whole  watershed  of  the  Hetch-Hetchy  and 
Lake  Eleanor  reservoir  sites  must  be  given  up  to  the  purposes  of  the  domestic 
water  supply  of  the  city  of  San  Francisco.  I am  credibly  informed  that  this 
involves  the  taking  of  an  area  but  slightly  less  than  half  of  that  of  the  whole 
Yosemite  National  Park  itself.  If  this  be  the  intention  of  the  proponents  of  this 
plan,  it  should  be  so  definitely  stated  and  the  country  should  know  that  nearly 
one-half  of  an  area  of  unequaled  natural  beauty,  set  aside  by  Congress  as  a great 
national  park  and  playground,  is  to  be  given  up  to  the  purposes  of  the  city  of 
3an  Francisco,  without  any  showing  publicly  made  that  there  is  no  other  source 
of  water  supply  which  would  be  less  expensive  to  the  people  of  the  United  States, 
whose  property  it  is  thus  proposed  to  divert.” — By  J.  Horace  McFarland,  Presi- 
dent of  American  Civic  Association,  who  has  given  the  subject  of  sanitation  of 
municipal  water  supplies  careful  consideration. 

Read  carefully  pp.  20-21  and  help  to  save  the  Park. 


8 


SAN  FRANCISCO  WANTS  WATER  POWER  AT  THE  EX- 
PENSE OF  THE  NATION. 

The  park  invaders  object  to  these  other  available  water  supplies  be- 
cause the  water  power  rights  have  largely  passed  into  private  owner- 
ship. This  is  the  crux  of  the  whole  situation.  (See  article  by  Marsden 
Manson,  City  Engineer,  in  California  Weekly,  June  i8,  1909.)  The 
same  paper  says  editorially: 

“It  is  the  possibility  of  a power  supply  that  makes  this  proposition  pre- 
eminently attractive.” 

“ . . . the  other  water  supplies  were  all  in  private  ownership.  Of  course  the 
city  could  condemn  and  acquire  these  supplies.  . . .” — Mr.  Phelan’s  testimony 
before  Public  Lands  Committee,  U.  S.  Senate,  p.  26. 

Both  Mr.  Phelan  and  Mr.  Manson,  the  City  Engineer,  say,  “it  is  a matter  of 
money.”  (p.  386,  House  Hearings.) 

“There  are  no  less  than  half  a dozen  water  supplies  from  the  Sierras,  but  they 
are  all  obstructed  by  ownership,  developments  made  by  power  companies,  used  by 
power  companies.  . . .” — Mr.  Phelan,  House  Hearings,  p.  342. 

The  development  of  power  does  not  consume  water.  It  is  still  avail- 
able for  the  city.  The  city  would  have  to  buy  power  for  pumping. 
This  expense  would  be  offset  by  the  fact  that  the  city  would  not  have  to 
expend  millions  of  dollars  in  construction  of  dams  ^nd  power  plants 
The  power  companies  have  done  and  will  do  this.  , In  short,  the  city 
asks  the  nation  to  make  her  a priceless  gift  in  order  to  save  herself 
from  having  to  pay  fhe  difference  between  the  cost  and  the  market 
price  of  water  powerj 

The  creation  of  the  park  has  heretofore  prevented  the  private  acquisi- 
tion of  the  power  and  water  rights  in  Hetch-Hetchy.  The  city  has 
slumbered  while  other  power  and  water  rights  in  the  Sierra  have  been 
acquired  by  others.  In  order  to  save  a few  dollars  the  city  now  demands 
the  sacrifice  of  a national  park  and  would  selfishly  destroy  a wonder- 
land which  wise  and  patriotic  foresight  has  preserved  all  these  years 
for  the  American  people. 

THE  BEAUTIFUL  LAKE  FALLACY. 

Landscape  gardens,  places  of  recreation  and  worship,  are  never 
made  beautiful  by  destroying  and  burying  them.  The  beautiful  lake 
forsooth  would  be  only  an  eye-sore,  a dismal  blot  on  the  landscape, 
like  many  others  to  be  seen  in  the  Sierra.  For,  instead  of  keeping 
it  at  the  same  level  all  the  year,  allowing  Nature  to  make  new  shores, 
it  would  of  course  be  full  only  a month  or  two  in  the  spring,  when 
the  snow  is  melting  fast ; then  it  would  be  gradually  drained,  exposing 
the  slimy  sides  of  the  basin  and  shallower  parts  of  the  bottom,  with 
the  gathered  drift  and  waste,  death  and  decay,  of  the  upper  basins, 
caught  here  instead  of  being  swept  on  to  decent  natural  burial  along  the 
banks  of  the  river  or  in  the  sea.  Thus  the  Hetch-Hetchy  dam-lake 
would  be  only  a rough  imitation  of  a natural  lake  for  a few  of  the 
spring  months;  an  open  mountain  sepulcher  the  others. 

A FALSE  ISSUE  RAISED  BY  THE  CITY’S  ADVOCATES. 

The  advocates  of  this  plan  for  securing  water  are  loud  in  their 
protestations  that  a mere  handful  of  nature  lovers  who  visit  this  region 
now  are  trying  to  stand  in  the  way  of  the  acquisition  of  a pure  water 
supply  for  the  “poor  widows  and  orphans  of  San  Francisco”  and  the 
half  million  who  live  about  the  bay.  This  accusation  is  unqualifiedly 
false.  There  are  none  more  anxious  than  we  that  San  Francisco  should 
own  and  control  a bountiful  supply  of  the  purest  mountain  water.  As 
we  have  pointed  out  elsewhere,  it  is  not  necessary  for  her  to  invade  and 
dismember  a National  Park  in  order  to  do  this. 

Read  carefully  pp.  20-21  and  help  to  save  the  Park. 


9 


HON.  E.  A.  HITCHCOCK,  SECRETARY  OF  THE  INTERIOR, 
DENIED  SAN  FRANCISCO  THE  USE  OF  HETCH-HETCHY 
VALLEY  AS  A RESERVOIR,  DEC  22,  1903,  SAYING: 

‘Tt  is  proposed  to  convert  Lake  Eleanor  and  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley, 
respectively,  into  reservoirs  for  the  storage  of  a water  supply  for  the 
city.  Both  are  admittedly  scenic  features  of  the  Yosemite  National 
Park.  . . . Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  is  widely  known  for  its  wonderful 
natural  conditions  and  marvelous  scenic  interest.  . . . 

“The  Valley  proper  is  about  three  and  one-half  miles  long  and  of 
a width  varying  from  one  quarter  to  three  quarters  of  a mile.  The 
rugged  granite  walls,  crowned  with  domes,  towers,  spires  and  battle- 
ments, seem  to  rise  almost  perpendicular  upon  all  sides  to  a height 
of  two  thousand  five  hundred  feet  above  this  beautiful  emerald 
me^ow.  . . . 

j^Tf  natural  scenic  attractions  of  the  grade  and  character  of  Lake 
Eleanor  and  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  are  not  of  the  class  which  the  law 
commands  the  Secretary  to  preserve  and  retain  in  their  natural  con- 
dition, it  would  seem  difficult  to  find  any  in  the  park  that  are,  unless 
it  be  the  Yosemite  Valley  itself.  In  the  absence  of  the  clearest  expres- 
sion to  the  contrary,  it  is  inconceivable  that  it  was  intended  by  the 
Act  of  February  15,  1901,  to  confer  any  authority  to  be  exercised 
for  the  subversion  of  those  natural  conditions  which  are  essential  to 
the  very  purposes  for  which  the  park  was  established^ 

“Presumably  the  Yosemite  National  Park  was  created  such  by  law 
because  of  the  natural  objects,  of  varying  degrees  of  scenic  importance, 
located  within  its  boundaries,  inclusive  alike  of  its  beautiful  small 
lakes,  like  Eleanor,  and  its  majestic  wonders,  like  Hetch-Hetchy  and 
Yosemite  Valley.  It  is  the  aggregation  of  such  natural  scenic  features 
that  makes  the  Yosemite  Park  a wonderland  which  the  Congress  of 
the  United  States  sought  by  law  to  preserve  for  all  coming  time  as 
nearly  as  practicable  in  the  condition  fashioned  by  the  hand  of  the 
Creator — a worthy  object  of  national  pride  and  a source  of  healthful 
pleasure  and  rest  for  the  thousands  of  people  who  may  annually 
sojourn  there  during  the  heated  months. 

“Having  in  view  the  ends  for  which  the  Park  was  established  and 
the  law  which  clearly  defines  my  duty  in  the  premises,  I am  constrained 
to  deny  the  application.” 

VIEWS  OF  HON.  JOHN  W.  NOBLE, 

FORMER  SECRETARY  OF  THE  INTERIOR. 

Upon  the  policy  of  surrendering  the  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  and  its  surroundings 
to  the  use  of  the  city  of  San  Francisco  for  water  supply,  allow  me  to  express 
to  you  my  conviction  that  such  appropriation  should  not  be  made. 

Permit  me  also  to  recall  that  during  the  Harrison  administration  these  reser- 
vations, in  connection  with  Yosemite  Park,  were  discussed  and  advanced,  with 
the  system  then  inaugurated  of  protecting  our  natural  and  wonderful  scenery 
and  our  forests  and  other  resources.  It  took  labor  and  moral  courage  to  with- 
stand the  fierce  opposition  of  local  interests  to  do  this. 

Among  the  most  important  reservations  secured  were  these  now  asked  for  a 
city  to  be  abandoned.  It  ought  not  to  be  done.  The  city  has  abundant  water 
supply  other  than  the  reservoir  to  be  constructed  here,  and  it  is  not  necessary 
to  give  tins  up. 

There  is  a growing  public  opinion  in  favor  of  a strict  preservation  of  what  has 
already  been  redeemed  for  national  reservations;  and  an  appropriation  of  this, 
one  of  the  chief  works  of  John  Muir’s  patriotic  foresight,  will  be  deemed  a sur- 
render of  the  national  policy  and  a return  to  the  idea  that  the  nation  has  nothing 
that  cannot  be  appropriated  to  other  interests  sufficiently  persistent  in  assertion. 

Read  carefully  pp.  20-21  and  help  to  save  the  Park. 


10 


THE  GARFIELD  PERMIT  TO  FLOOD  HETCH-HETCHY  VALLEY 

IS  INVALID. 

The  Act  of  1890  creating  the  Yosemite  National  Park  was  a special  act  having 
for  its  object  the  preservation  of  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  and  other  wonders  of 
.the  park  in  their  natural  condition,  and  none  of  its  terms  could  have  been 
repealed  by  the  passage  of  the  general  law  of  1901  authorizing  the  granting  of 
rights  of  way,  etc.,  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  unless  that  intention  were 
expressly  declared  in  the  general  act,  and  there  is  no  such  language  to  be  found 
in  the  act.  Only  rights  of  way,  etc.,  which  will  not  destroy  the  natural  condition 
of  wonders  of  the  park  are  within  the  contemplation  of  the  act  of  iQpiy^ 

It  is  the  opinion,  therefore,  of  many  lawyers  of  high  standing  that : 

“The  action  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  of  May  ii,  1908,  in  grant- 
ing the  permit  to  flood  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley,  was  without  authority  of 
law.  Such  was  the  opinion  of  his  predecessor  in  office.  Honorable  E.  A. 
Hitchcock,  (letter  to  the  President  of  February  20,  1905),  who  was  sup- 
ported by  the  opinion  of  Honorable  V.  H.  Metcalf,  Secretary  of  Commerce 
and  Labor.  (Letter  to  the  President  of  March  i,  1905.)  The  latter  wrote: 
“As  the  law  now  stands,  permission  to  use  the  reservation  for  purposes 
which  will  permanently  change  its  natural  conditions  may  he  granted  only 
by  Congress/'  The  reasons  for  this  view,  as  set  forth  by  Mr.  Hitchcock, 
are  that  “The  act  of  1890  (establishing  the  park)  makes  it  obligatory 
to  preserve  and  retain  the  natural  curiosities  and  zuonders  of  the  park 
in  their  natural  condition.”  The  act  of  1901,  under  the  authority  of  which 
this  permit  has  been  obtained,  allows  grants  of  revocable  rights  of  way 
“which  are  not  incompatible  with  the  public  interest.”  “It  is  inconceivable,” 
says  Mr.  Hitchcock,  “that  it  was  intended  by  the  act  of  1901  to  confer 
any  authority  to  be  exercised  for  the  subversion  of  those  natural  con- 
ditions which  are  essential  to  the  very  purposes  for  which  the  park  was 
established.  This  is  the  common  sense  construction  of  the  two  acts.” — 
From  Brief  of  Appalachian  Mountain  Club. 

^‘Secretary  Hitchcock  said  that  public  interest  meant  the  preservation  of 
me  natural  curiosities  and  wonders  in  their  natural  condition.  Secretary 
Garfield  said  it  meant  a water  supply  for  San  Francisco,  as  that  was  the 
highest  beneficial  use,  A study  of  the  records  of  Congress  will  show, 
however,  that  Secretary  Hitchcock  grasped  the  real  meaning  of  the  later 
act.  The  Committee  on  the  Public  Lands,  in  reporting  the  act  of  1901, 
said : 

“The  several  acts  relating  to  this  subject  should  be  brought  to- 
gether and  harmonized  in  a new  act,  the  terms  of  which  should 
be  broad  and  comprehensive  enough  to  afford  the  widest  possible 
use  for  all  beneficial  purposes  of  the  waters  on  the  public  lands  and 
reservations  of  the  United  States,  so  long  as  the  same  is 
consistent  with  the  preservation  of  the  public  interests  and 
the  attainment  of  the  purposes  for  which  the  various  reser- 
vations are  established.” 

“From  the  foregoing  it  would  seem  that  it  was  the  intention  of  the  Com- 
mittee, and  presumably  the  intention  of  the  Congress,  that  the  act  should 
be  availed  of  in  a way  that  would  not  destroy  the  purposes  of  the  park, 
which  were  the  preservation  of  objects  of  beauty.  And  of  those  Hetch- 
Hetchy  was  notably  one.” — From  Report  of  Hon.  Herbert  Parsons,  Mem- 
ber of  the  Committee  of  Public  Lands  of  the  House,  p.  27,  Report  No. 
2085;  both  Congress,  2nd  session. 

“It  is  not  within  my  power  under  the  guise  of  giving  a revocable 
right  of  way  to  give  away  one  of  the  wonders  of  the  park.” — Hon. 
E.  A.  Hitchcock,  former  Secretary  of  the  Interior. 


Read  carefully  pp.  20-21  and  help  to  save  the  Park. 


II 


HETCH-HETCHY  AND  THE  YOSEMITE  PARK  IS  A GREAT 
NATIONAL  ASSET. 

According  to  the  terms  of  the  Garfield  permit,  San  Francisco  must 
first  develop  Lake  Eleanor  and  Cherry  River  to  their  greatest  capacity. 
It  would  be  fifty  years  before  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  could  possibly  be 
used.  Who  can  foretell  what  the  travel  to  the  Hetch-Hetchy  will  be 
by  that  time  ? It  is  now  numbered  by  the  hundreds  annually  and  in  fifty 
years  will  reach  so  far  into  the  thousands  as  to  be  almost  unbelievable. 
A hundred  years  ago  the  travel  into  the  Alps  was  negligible.  Now  it 
has  become  the  “Playground  of  Europe”  and  consular  reports  indicate 
that  over  two  million  persons  travel  to  the  Swiss  Alps  annually. 

If  San  Francisco  should  secure  the  legislation  she  seeks  granting 
her  the  floor  of  Hetch-Hetchy,  it  would  mean  that  the  destruction  of 
the  valley  would  only  be  a matter  of  time.  How  much  more  rational 
to  let  this  question  of  the  necessity  for  using  the  valley  be  determined 
when  that  necessity  actually  arises.  The  valley  will  remain  in  the  park 
and  can  not  be  acquired  by  others.  This  situation  demonstrates  the 
sophistry  of  the  water  system  advocates.  They  are  afraid  to  let  this 
question  remain  open  to  be  decided  by  those  who  fifty  years  hence  are 
rightfully  entitled  to  decide  it.  If  allowed  to  increase  without  restric- 
tion, travel  to  the  Hetch-Hetchy  fifty  years  from  now  will  be  so  great 
as  to  make  any  scheme  to  destroy  it  unthinkable.  The  value  of  the 
Yosemite  National  Park  as  a commercial  asset  is  simply  incalculable. 
It  is  a gold  mine  for  the  State  of  California  and  a treasure  house  for 
the  whole  nation.  The  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  is  one  of  its  most  priceless 
attractions,  and  no  community  would  suffer  greater  loss  by  the  destruc- 
tion of  Hetch-Hetchy  than  San  Francisco  herself. 

“The  value  of  great  scenic  possessions  is  being  increasingly  recognized  the 
world  over.  This  value  is  now  known  to  have  a great  influence  upon  the  develop- 
ment of  that  best  citizenship,  without  v/hich  a country  is  poor  indeed.  Tt  is  also 
admittedly  understood  to  relate  very  closely  to  the  maintenance  of  the  health  of 
the  people.  There  is,  too,  a recognized  and  most  definite  value  in  the  mainten- 
ance of  great  scenery  as  a directly  productive  asset,  attracting  travel  from  all 
the  world.  It  is  admitted  that  more  than  twenty  millions  of  dollars  are  annually 
expended  in  travel  to  see  the  Falls  of  Niagara.  Capitalized  at  five  per  cent,  and 
taking  no  account  of  the  increasing  travel,  this  would  make  the  travel  value 
alone  of  this  one  asset  of  American  natural  scenery  exceed  four  hundred  millions 
of  dollars.  The  travel  tribute  paid  to  the  Yosemite  National  Park  is  annually 
increasing,  and  as  our  population  increase  it  must  increase  in  larger  proportion ; 
for  more  and  more  are  men  driven  for  necessary  rest  and  recreation  to  the  few 
remaining  spots  presenting  undamaged  nature’s  sublimest  works.  It  may  there- 
fore be  assumed,  I insist,  that  all  of  the  Yosemite  National  Park,  which  in  its 
wisdom  Congress  set  aside  many  years  ago  for  just  the  purpose  I have  been 
urging,  holds  a very  large  value,  inhering  to  all  the  people  of  the  United  States. 
This  value,  I insist,  should  not  be  interfered  with  except  for  a grave  public 
necessit}’’,.  and  for  cause  fully  shown  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  whole  country, 
who  own  the  Yosemite  National  Park.” — J.  Horace  McFarland,  President  of 
American  Civic  Association. 

“Conservation  of  our  natural  scenery  is  conservation  of  one  of  the 
nation’s  greatest  resources. 

“This  threatened  precedent  of  entering  National  Parks  is  wrong  in 
principle  and  unnecessary  in  fact. 

“There  is  a vast  economic  reason  for  jealously  guarding  all  of  our 
scenic  heritage  in  America.” — J.  Horace  McFarland,  President  of 
American  Civic  Association. 

12  Read  carefully  pp.  20-21  and  help  to  save  the  Park. 


OTHER  ARGUMENTS  OF  THE  PARK  INVADERS  ANSWERED. 

Those  who  would  enter  and  destroy  vital  and  essential  features  of  our  great 
national  parks  give  as  a reason  that  the  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  is  flooded  by  the 
spring  freshets  of  the  Tuolumne  River.  The  facts  are  these;  For  a few  days  in 
the  spring  portions  of  the  lower  end  of  the  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  are  covered 
with  water.  The  upper  two-thirds,  embracing  the  most  beautiful  parts  of  the 
park-like  floor,  is  never  flooded.  After  the  v^^ater  recedes  from  the  lower  portion, 
it  leaves  a dry  sandy  soil  which  becomes  one  of  the  most  beautiful  flower  gardens 
in  the  Sierra.  The  Yosemite  Valley  floor  is  subject  to  the  same  periodic  and 
extensive  flooding  at  seasons  of  high  water. 

The  floor  of  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  has  been  called  a “mosquito  marsh”  by  our 
zealous  opponents.  There  are  mosquitoes  there  in  great  numbers  immediately 
following  the  spring  overflow  of  the  lower  end  of  the  valley,  but  they  remain  but 
a short  time  and  disappear  entirely  when  the  water  is  drained  off  from  the  sandy 
flower  gardens  and  meadows,  as  nature  quickly  accomplishes.  Drainage  and  a 
liberal  use  of  petroleum  will  eradicate  even  this  temporary  nuisance.  There  are 
great  numbers  of  mosquitoes  even  in  the  Yosemite  Valley  itself.  Let  us  drown 
the  Yosemite  if  this  argument  is  tenable. 

They  argue  that  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  is  accessible  only  a few  months  in  the 
year.  With  good  roads  it  can  be  made  accessible  the  whole  year  round,  as  the 
Yosemite  Valley  has  recently  been  made  accessible. 

The  park  invaders  urge  that  but  few  visit  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  now  and  that 
the  needs  of  a great  city  are  paramount  to  the  pleasures  of  a few.  The  same 
argument  would  have  applied  to  Yosemite  before  good  roads  were  made.  We  are 
not  judging  the  needs  of  the  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  by  present  travel  there.  With 
good  roads  and  trails  connecting  it  with  the  Yosemite  and  the  other  important 
places  in  the  park,  travel  to  Hetch-Hetchy  will  increase  just  as  travel  to  the 
Yosemite  has  increased. 

They  urge  that  the  city  now  owns  all  the  patented  land  on  the  floor  of  the 
valley  and  that  this  bill  in  Congress  merely  provides  for  the  exchange  of  other 
lands  so  that  the  city  can  secure  control  of  the  entire  floor  in  fee  simple.  San 
Francisco  has  acquired  by  purchase  some  720  acres  in  and  about  the  floor  of  the 
Hetch-Hetchy  Valley.  In  order  to  cover  fully  the  rights  she  desires  she  will 
need  about  2000  acres  more  that  now  belong  to  the  American  people  and  is  a 
part  of  the  national  park.  It  is  unfortunate  that  the  nation  ever  parted  with 
any  of  its  title  to  these  lands,  but  it  is  one  of  those  mistakes  made  in  the  early 
days  when  our  public  domain  was  parcelled  out  without  regard  to  consequences. 
This  land  was  acquired  under  the  guise  of  homesteads,  etc.,  and  in  reality  was 
used  for  a few  years  for  pasturing  sheep  and  stock.  The  government  at  that 
time  never  realized  how  priceless  it  was.  The  creation  of  the  national  park 
put  an  end  to  further  sacrifice  of  one  of  the  nation’s  most  valuable  possessions. 
Now  these  park  invaders  argue  that  because  the  government  made  the  monu- 
mental mistake  of  ever  parting  with  title  to  an  acre  of  this  wonderland,  it  shall 
now  commit  the  irretrievable  folly  of  sacrificing  it  all!  The  land  the  city  owns 
is  valueless  for  reservoir  purposes  without  acquiring  control  over  all  the  remainder. 
The  government  called  a halt  when  it  created  the  park,  and  a wise  policy  will 
decree  that  the  land  which  it  foolishly  patented  before  the  creation  of  the  park 
shall  be  either  purchased  or  condemned  like  other  private  claims  in  other 
national  parks. 

UNEQUAL  NATURE  OF  PRpPOSED  EXCHANGE  BY  THE  CITY. 

The  city  proposes  through  the  bill  now  pending  in  Congress  to  exchange  for 
lands  on  or  near  the  floor  of  Hetch-Hetchy  an  equal  acreage  of  patented  lands — 
some  situated  within  the  national  park  and  some  not  even  in  the  park,  but  in  the 
adjacent  forest  reserve.  The  Hog  Ranch  is  one  of  the  tracts  lying  just  outside 
the  present  park  boundary.  It  is  like  thousands  of  other  Sierra  pastures,  and  to 
exchange  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  for  Hog  Ranch  would  be  like  exchanging  Central 
Park  in  New  York  City  for  an  equal  acreage  of  cow  pasture. 

Another  private  holding  owned  by  the  city  is  in  Till  Till  Valley.  The 
absurdity  of  this  proposed  exchange  is  demonstrated  by  the  following  fact. 
The  special  committee  of  the  Commonwealth  Club  of  San  Francisco  having  this 
very  matter  under  consideration  reports  that  it  “is  extremely  doubtful,  con- 
sidering the  difficulties  of  sanitation”  whether  Till  Till  “may  be  used  for  the 
accommodation  of  visitors”  if  Hetch-Hetchy  becomes  a municipal  reservoir. 
Would  the  nation  profit  by  such  an  exchange?  The  very  land  the  nation  would 
acquire  could  not  be  used  by  the  public  because  the  land  the  nation  would  sur- 
render to  the  city  in  exchange  would  be  used  as  a municipal  reservoir,  which 
would  be  polluted  by  drainage  from  Till  Till!  Till  Till  would  also  be  rendered 
practically  inaccessible  by  the  flooding  of  the  Hetch-Hetchy  camp  grounds. 


THE  ENDANGERED  VALLEY:  THE  HETCH-HETCHY 
VALLEY  IN  THE  YOSEMITE  NATIONAL  PARK. 

By  John  Muir, 

Author  of  “The  Mountains  of  California,”  “Our  National  Parks,”  etc. 

The  fame  of  the  Merced  Yosemite  has  spread  far  and  wide,  while 
Hetch-Hetchy,  the  Tuolumne  Yosemite,  has  until  recently  remained 
comparatively  unknown,  notwithstanding  it  is  a wonderfully  exact 
counterpart  of  the  famous  valley.  As  the  Merced  flows  in  tranquil 
beauty  through  Yosemite,  so  does  the  Tuolumne  through  Hetch- 
Hetchy.  The  floor  of  Yosemite  is  about  4,000  feet  above  the  sea, 
and  that  of  Hetch-Hetchy  about  3,700,  while  in  both  the  walls  are  of 
gray  granite,  very  high,  and  rise  precipitously  out  of  flowery  gardens 
and  groves.  Furthermore,  the  two  wonderful  valleys  occupy  the  same 
relative  positions  on  the  flank  of  the  Sierra,  were  formed  by  the  same 
forces  in  the  same  kind  of  granite,  and  have  similar  waterfalls,  sculp- 
ture, and  vegetation.  Hetch-Hetchy  lies  in  a northwesterly  direction 
from  Yosemite  at  a distance  of  about  eighteen  miles,  and  is  now  easily 
accessible  by  a trail  and  wagon-road  from  the  Big  Oak  Flat  road  at 
Sequoia. 

The  most  strikingly  picturesque  rock  in  the  valley  is  a majestic 
pyramid  over  2,000  feet  in  height  which  is  called  by  the  Indians 
‘‘Kolana.’’  It  is  the  outermost  of  a group  like  the  Cathedral  Rocks 
of  Yosemite  and  occupies  the  same  relative  position  on  the  south  wall. 
Facing  Kolana  on  the  north  side  of  the  valley  there  is  a massive  sheer 
rock  like  the  Yosemite  El  Capitan  about  1,900  feet  high,  and  over  its 
brow  flows  a stream  that  makes  the  most  beautiful  fall  I have  ever 
seen.  The  Indian  name  for  it  is  “Tueeulala.”  From  the  edge  of  the 
cliff  it  is  perfectly  free  in  the  air  for  a thousand  feet,  then  breaks  up 
into  a ragged  sheet  of  cascades  among  the  boulders  of  an  earthquake 
talus.  It  is  in  all  its  glory  in  June,  when  the  snow  is  melting  fast,  but 
fades  and  vanishes  toward  the  end  of  summer.  The  only  fall  I know 
with  which  it  may  fairly  be  compared  is  the  Yosemite  Bridal  Veil; 
but  it  excels  even  that  favorite  fall  both  in  height  and  fineness  of  fairy 
airy  beauty  and  behavior.  Lowlanders  are  apt  to  suppose  that  moun- 
tain streams  in'  their  wild  career  over  cliffs  lose  control  of  themselves 
and  tumble  in  a noisy  chaos  of  mist  and  spray.  On  the  contrary,  on  no 
part  of  their  travels  are  they  more  harmonious  and  self-controlled. 
Imagine  yourself  in  Hetch-Hetchy  on  a sunny  day  in  June,  standing 
waist-deep  in  grass  and  flowers  (as  I have  oftentimes  stood),  whiR 
the  great  pines  sway  dreamily  with  scarce  perceptible  motion.  Look- 
ing northward  across  the  valley  you  see  a plain  gray  granite  cliff  rising 
abruptly  out  of  the  gardens  and  groves  to  a height  of  1,800  feet,  and 
in  front  of  it  Tueeulala’s  silvery  scarf  burning  with  irised  sun-fire  in 
every  fiber.  Approaching  the  brink  of  the  rock,  her  waters  flow 
swiftly,  and  in  the  first  white  outburst  of  the  stream  at  the  head  of  the 
fall  there  is  abundance  of  visible  energy,  but  it  is  speedily  hushed  and 
concealed  in  divine  repose ; and  its  tranquil  progress  to  the  base  of  the 
cliff  is  like  that  of  downy  feathers  in  a still  room.  Now  observe  the 
fineness  and  marvelous  distinctness  of  the  various  sun-illumined  fabrics 
into  which  the  water  is  woven : they  sift  and  float  from  form  to  form 
down  the  face  of  that  grand  gray  rock  in  so  leisurely  and  unconfused 
a manner  that  you  can  examine  their  texture,  and  patterns,  and  tones 

Read  carefully  pp.  20-21  and  help  to  save  the  Park. 


14 


The  Endangered  Valley — John  Muir. 

of  color  as  you  would  a piece  of  embroidery  held  in  the  hand.  Near 
the  head  of  the  fall  you  see  groups  of  booming  comet-like  masses, 
their  solid  white  heads  separate,  their  tails  like  combed  silk  interlacing 
among  delicate  shadows,  ever  forming  and  dissolving,  worn  out  by 
friction  in  their  rush  through  the  air.  Most  of  these  vanish  a few 
hundred  feet  below  the  summit,  changing  to  the  varied  forms  of 
cloudlike  drapery.  Near  the  bottom  the  width  of  the  fall  has  increased 
from  about  twenty-five  to  a hundred  feet,  and  is  composed  of  yet  finer 
tissue,  fold  over  fold — air,  water,  and  sunbeams  woven  into  irised  robes 
that  spirits  might  wear. 

So  fine  a fall  might  well  seem  sufficient  to  glorify  any  valley ; but 
here  as  in  Yosemite  Nature  seems  in  no  wise  moderate,  for  a short 
distance  to  the  eastward  of  Tueeulala  booms  and  thunders  the  great 
Hetch-Hetchy  fall,  Wapama,  so  near  that  you  have  both  of  them  in  full 
view  from  the  same-  standpoint.  It  is  the  counterpart  of  the  Yosemite 
Fall,  but  has  a much  greater  volume  of  water,  is  about  1,700  feet  in 
height,  and  appears  to  be  nearly  vertical  though  considerably  inclined, 
and  is  dashed  into  huge  outbounding  bosses  of  foam  on  the  projecting 
shelves  and  knobs  of  its  jagged  gorge.  No  two  falls  could  be  more 
unlike — Tueeulala  out  in  the  open  sunshine  descending  like  thistle- 
down, chanting  soft  and  low  like  a summer  breeze  in  the  pines ; Wa- 
pama in  a jagged  shadowy  gorge  roaring  and  thundering,  pounding 
its  way  with  the  weight  and  energy  of  an  avalanche.  Tueeulala 
whispers  that  the  Almighty  dwells  in  peace;  Wapama  is  the  thunder 
of  His  chariot-wheels  in  power.  Besides  this  glorious  pair  there 
is  a broad  massive  fall  on  the  main  river  a short  distance  above  the 
head  of  the  valley.  Its  position  is  something  like  that  of  the  Vernal 
in  Yosemite,  and  its  roar  as  it  plunges  into  a surging  trout-pool  may 
be  heard  a long  way,  though  it  is  only  about  twenty  feet  high.  There 
is  also  a chain  of  magnificent  cascades  at  the  head  of  the  valley  on  a 
stream  that  comes  in  from  the  northeast,  mostly  silvery  plumes,  like 
the  one  between  the  Vernal  and  Nevada  falls  of  Yosemite,  half-sliding, 
half-leaping  on  bare  glacier-polished  granite,  covered  with  crisp  clash- 
ing spray  into  which  the  sunbeams  pour  with  glorious  effect.  Others 
shoot  edgewise,  through  deep,  narrow  gorges,  chafing  and  surging 
beneath  rainbows  in  endless  variety  of  form  and  tone.  And  besides 
all  these  here  and  there  small  streams,  seldom  noticed,  come  dancing 
down  from  crag  to  crag  with  birdlike  song  and  watering  many  a hidden 
cliff-garden  and  fernery,  doing  what  they  can  in  the  grand  general 
harmony. 

The  floor  of  the  valley  is  about  three  and  a half  miles  long,  half 
a mile  wide,  and  is  partly  separated  by  a bar  of  glacier-polished  gran- 
ite across  which  the  river  breaks  in  rapids.  The  lower  part  is  mostly 
a grassy,  flowery  meadow,  with  the  trees  confined  to  the  sides  and  the 
river-banks.  The  upper  forested  part  is  charmingly  diversified  with 
groves  of  the  large  and  picturesque  California  live-oak,  and  the  noble 
yellow  pine,  which  here  attains  a height  of  more  than  two  hundred  feet, 
growing  well  apart  in  small  groves  or  singly,  allowing  each  tree  to 
be  seen  in  all  its  beauty  and  grandeur.  Beneath  them  the  common 
pteris  spreads  a sumptuous  carpet,  tufted  here  and  there  with  ceanothus 
and  manzanita  bushes,  azalea  and  brier-rose,  and  brightened  with 
Mariposa  tulips,  goldenrod,  tall  mints,  larkspurs,  geraniums,  etc.,  amid 

Read  carefully  pp.  20-21  and  help  to  save  the  Park. 


15 


The  Endangered  Valley — John  Muir. 

which  butterflies,  bees,  and  humming-birds  find  rich  pasturage.  Near 
the  walls,  especially  on  the  earthquake  tali  that  occur  in  many  places, 
the  pines  and  California  oak  giVe  place  to  the  mountain  live-oak,  which 
forms  the  shadiest  and  most  extensive  groves.  The  glossy  foliage, 
densely  crowded,  makes  a beautiful  ceiling,  with  only  a few  irregular 
openings  for  the  admission  of  sunbeams,  while  the  pale-gray  trunks 
and  the  branches,  gnarled  and  outspread  in  wide  interlacing  arches, 
are  most  impressively  beautiful  and  picturesque.  The  sugar-pine, 
Sabine  pine,  incense  cedar,  silver  fir,  and  tumion,  occur  here  and  there 
among  the  oaks  and  yellow  pines,  or  in  cool  side  canons,  or  scattered 
on  the  rifted  wall  rocks  and  benches.  The  river-bank  trees  are  chiefly 
libocedrus,  poplar,  willow,  alder,  and  flowering  dogwood. 

Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  is  a grand  landscape  garden,  one  of  Nature’s 
rarest  and  most  precious  mountain  mansions.  As  in  Yosemite,  the 
sublime  rocks  of  its  walls  seem  to  the  nature-lover  to  glow  with  life, 
whether  leaning  back  in  repose  or  standing  erect  in  thoughtful  atti- 
tudes giving  welcome  to  storms  and  calms  alike.  And  how  softly 
these  mountain  rocks  are  adorned,  and  how  fine  and  reassuring  the 
company  they  keep — their  brows  in  the  sky,  their  feet  set  in  groves 
and  gay  emerald  meadows,  a thousand  flowers  leaning  confidingly 
against  their  adamantine  bosses,  while  birds,  bees,  and  butterflies  help 
the  river  and  waterfalls  to  stir  all  the  air  into  music — things  frail  and 
fleeting  and  types  of  permanence  meeting  here  and  blending,  as  if  into 
this  glorious  mountain  temple  Nature  had  gathered  her  choicest  treas- 
ures, whether  great  or  small,  to  draw  her  lovers  into  close  confiding 
communion  with  her. 

Hetch-Hetchy  weather  is  delightful  and  invigorating  all  the  year. 
Snow  seldom  lies  long  on  the  floor,  and  is  never  very  deep.  On  the 
sunny  north  wall  many  a sheltered  nook  may  be  found  embraced  by 
sun-warmed  rock-bosses  in  which  flowers  bloom  every  month  of  the 
year.  Even  on  the  shaded  south  side  of  the  valley  the  frost  is  never 
severe. 

The  most  delightful  and  wonderful  campgrounds  in  the  park  are 
the  three  great  valleys — Yosemite,  Hetch-Hetchy,  and  Upper  Tuol- 
umne; and  they  are  also  the  most  important  places  with  reference  to 
their  positions  relative  to  the  other  great  feaures — the  Merced  and 
Tuolumne  canons,  and  the  High  Sierra  peaks  and  glaciers,  etc.,  at  the 
head  of  the  rivers.  The  main  part  of  the  Tuolumne  Valley  is  a beau- 
tiful spacious  flowery  lawn  four  or  five  miles  long,  surrounded  by 
magnificent  snowy  mountains.  It  is  about  8,500  feet  above  the  sea, 
and  forms  the  grand  central  High  Sierra  campground  from  which 
excursions  are  made  to  the  noble  mountains,  domes,  glaciers,  etc. ; 
across  the  range  to  the  Mono  Lake  and  volcanoes;  and  down  the 
Tuolumne  Canon  to  Hetch-Hetchy.  But  should  Hetch-Hetchy  be 
submerged,  as  proposed,  not  only  would  it  be  made  utterly  inaccessible, 
but  the  sublime  canon  way  to  the  heart  of  the  High  Sierra  would  be 
hopelessly  blocked. 

That  any  one  would  try  to  destroy  such  a place  seemed  impossible, 
but  sad  experience  shows  that  there  are  people  good  enough  and  bad 
enough  for  anything.  The  proponents  of  the  dam  scheme  bring  for- 
ward a lot  of  bad  arguments  to  prove  that  the  only  righteous  thing 
for  Hetch-Hetchy  is  its  destruction.  These  arguments  are  curiously 

16  Read  carefully  pp.  20-21  and  help  to  save  the  Park. 


The  Endangered  Valley — John  Muir. 

like  those  of  the  devil  devised  for  the  destruction  of  the  first  garden — 
so  much  of  the  very  best  Eden  fruit  going  to  waste,  so  much  of  the 
best  Tuolumne  water.  In  these  ravaging  money-mad  days  monopo- 
lizing San  Francisco  capitalists  are  now  doing  their  best  to  destroy 
the  Yosemite  Park,  the  most  wonderful  of  all  our  great  mountain 
national  parks.  Beginning  on  the  Tuolumne  side,  they  are  trying  with 
a lot  of  sinful  ingenuity  to  get  the  Government’s  permission  to  dam 
and  destroy  the  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  for  a reservoir,  simply  that  com- 
paratively private  gain  may  be  made  out  of  universal  public  loss.  This 
use  of  the  valley,  so  destructive  and  foreign  to  its  proper  park  use, 
has  long  been  planned  and  prayed  for,  and  is  still  being  prayed  for 
by  the  San  Francisco  board  of  supervisors,  not  because  water  as  pure 
and  abundant  cannot  be  got  from  adjacent  sources  outside  the  park, — 
for  it  can, — but  seemingly  only  because  of  the  comparative  cheapness 
of  the  dam  required. 

Garden-  and  park-making  goes  on  everywhere  with  civilization,  for 
everybody  needs  beauty  as  well  as  bread,  places  to  play  in  and_pray  in, 
where  Nature  may  heal  and  cheer  and  give  strength  to  body  and  soul. 

It  is  impossible  to  overestimate  the  value  of  wild  mountains  and 
mountain  temples.  They  are  the  greatest  of  our  natural  resources, 
God’s  best  gifts,  but  none,  however  high  and  holy,  is  beyond  reach 
of  the  spoiler. 

These  temple  destroyers,  devotees  of  ravaging  commercialism,  seem 
to  have  a perfect  contempt  for  Nature,  and  instead  of  lifting  their  eyes 
to  the  mountains,  lift  them  to  dams  and  town  skyscrapers. 

Dam  Hetch-Hetchy ! As  well  dam  for  water-tanks  the  people’s 
cathedrals  and  churches,  for  no  holier  temple  has  ever  been  consecrated 
by  the  heart  of  man. 

Excepting  only  Yosemite,  Hetch-Hetchy  is  the  most  attractive  and 
wonderful  valley  within  the  bounds  of  the  great  Yosemite  National 
Park  and  the.  best  of  all  the  campgrounds.  People  are  now  flocking 
to  it  in  ever-increasing  numbers  for  health  and  recreation  of  body  and 
mind.  Though  the  walls  are  less  sublime  in  height  than  those  of 
Yo'semite,  its  groves,  gardens,  and  broad  spacious  meadows  are  more 
beautiful  and  picturesque.  It  is  many  years  since  sheep  and  cattle  were 
pastured  in  it,  and  the  vegetation  now  shows  scarce  a trace  of  their 
ravages.  Last  year  in  October  I visited  the  valley  with  Mr.  William 
Keith,  the  artist.  He  wandered  about  from  view  to  view,  enchanted, 
made  thirty-eight  sketches,  and  enthusiastically  declared  that  in  varied 
picturesque  beauty  Hetch-Hetchy  greatly  surpassed  Yosemite.  It  is 
one  of  God’s  best  gifts,  and  ought  to  be  faithfully  guarded. 

[Note. — The  substance  of  the  foregoing  article  has  appeared  in  the  Century 
Magazine,  Sierra  Chib  Bulletin,  and  the  Outlook,  and  it  was  written  many  years 
before  this  Hetch-Hetchy  question  arose.] 

....  If  a municipal  water-works  is  permitted  to  erect  its  plant 
in  the  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley,  it  means  that  the  Yosemite  Park  will  be- 
I come  the  back-yard  of  a great  municipal  utility  instead  of  a recrea- 
) tion  ground  for  all  the  people  of  the  country. — Editorial  in  N.  Y. 
j “Outlook,”  January  30,  1909. 

t 


I 


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17 


WHAT  THE  PRESS  THINKS. 

SAVING  THE  YOSEMITE  PARK., 

“Before  the  damage  is  irremediably  done  we  hope  that  Congress  will  investi- 
gate the  entire  Hetch-Hetchy  controversy  for  the  express  purpose  of  authorita- 
tively finding  out  whether  San  Francisco  cannot  be  adequately  supplied  with  water 
from  some  other  source.  We  urge  our  readers  to  write  to  their  Representatives 
in  Congress  asking  for  Congressional  action.”— Editorial  in  N.  Y.  Outlook, 
January  30,  1909. 

“There  is  cause  for  national  congratulation  in  the  fact  that  President 
Taft,  while  visiting  the  Yosemite  Valley  last  week,  was  accompanied  by  John 
Muir,  who  thus  had  abundant  opportunity  to  talk  to  him  about  San  Francisco’s 

proposed  conversion  of  the  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  into  a water  tank the 

next  Congress  will  be  asked  to  take  away  this  superb  valley  from  the  nation 
and  make  a present  of  it  to  the  city,  which,  as  eminent  engineers  have  shown, 
does  not  need  it,  as  it  has  thirteen  other  available  sources  of  good  water.  The 
grant,  if  made,  would  exclude  campers  and  sightseers  not  only  from  the  Hetch- 
Hetchy,  but  from  practically  one-half  of  the  national  park.” — Editorial  in  N.  Y. 
Nation,  October  14,  1909. 

“It  behooves  all  nature-lovers  to  join  Mr.  Muir  in  his  efforts  to  save  this 
temple.” — Editorial  in  N.  Y.  Post,  October  12,  1909. 

SHALL  THE  YOSEMITE  BE  DESPOILED? 

“Aside  from  the  fact  that  the  precedent  involved  endangers  the  perpetuity  of 
national  parks  generally,  this  is  really  the  first  step  toward  the  diversion  from 
public  to  domestic  use  of  what  constitutes  scenically  more  than  one-half  of  the 
Yosemite  National  Park.  It  is  time  for  public-spirited  men  to  insist  upon  an 
exhaustive  Congressional  investigation  of  the  ultimate  issues  involved  in  this 
grant.  National  parks  should  be  inviolate  against  every  claim  except  that  of 
absolute  public  necessity.” — Editorial  in  N.  Y.  Independent,  January  14,  1909. 

TO  MAINTAIN  THE  WONDERS  OF  NATURE. 

“ ....  A temporary  agreement  has  been  reached  in  Congress  not  to  pass  any 
legislation  permanently  granting  a part  of  Yosemite  National  Park — the  Hetch- 
Hetchy  Valley — to  San  Francisco  for  a source  of  water  supply  for  a year.  This 
practically  nullifies  Secretary  Garfield’s  decision  granting  the  city  the  right  to 
appropriate  the  valley  . . . .” — Editorial  in  World’s  Work,  April,  1909. 

(See  also  article  entitled  “San  Francisco  Against  the  Nation  for  the  Yosemite,” 
by  French  Strother  in  the  same  issue.) 

HETCH-HETCHY,  A VALLEY  OF  WONDERS  NOW  THREATENED  WITH  EXTINCTION. 

“Every  lover  of  nature,  every  one  who  takes  pride  in  our  magnificent  system 
of  national  parks,  should  earnestly  protest  against  the  threatened  desecration.” — 
F.  M.  Fultz  in  The  World  To-day,  May,  1909. 

“There  are  plenty  of  other  sources  of  water  supply  for  San  Francisco  or  any 
other  large  city.  Those  same  rivers  can  be  stored  further  down  at  various 
points;  it  is  true  the  cost  would  be  greater.  Let  us  keep  these  grand  wild  gardens 
that  God  has  given  to  us  and  to  all,  for  all  ages  to  come.” — Christian  Science 
Monitor,  January  30,  1909. 

A RICH  GRAB. 

[Editorial  from  The  Oregonian,  Portland,  December  30,  1908.] 

The  whole  country  is  interested  in  the  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley.  It  is  an  im- 
portant part  of  the  most  valuable  territory  belonging  to  the  American  people. 
It  lies  in  the  Yosemite  National  Park  and  next  to  the  Yosemite  Valley  the 
Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  is  the  most  beautiful  tract  in  that  wonderful  region.  It 
belongs  to  the  people  and  it  should  forever  be  preserved  to  the  people  as  a 
source  of  health  and  pleasure.  . . . San  Francisco  can  get  plenty  of  water  else- 
where. Her  present  supply  properly  developed  would  furnish  her  100,000,000 
gallons  daily,  whereas  she  uses  but  35,000,000  gallons.  Moreover,  there  are 
other  sources  available  without  trenching  on  the  national  domain,  which  would 
supply  all  she  needed  forever.  There  are  few  cities  in  the  world  so  well  able  to 
get  abundance  of  good  water  as  San  Francisco.  Why,  then,  this  eagerness  to 
grab  the  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  and  rob  the  nation  of  its  property?  ....  The 
Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  belongs  to  the  people  and  they  ought  to  be  able  to  keep  it. 

Ex-President  Roosevelt,  in  speaking  of  the  Yellowstone  Park  in  his  last  Annual 
Message  to  Congress,  said : “This,  like  the  Yosemite,  is  a great  wonderland  and 
should  be  kept  as  a national  playground.  In  both  all  wild  things  should  be  pro- 
tected and  the  scenery  kept  wholly  unmarred.” 

18  Read  carefully  pp.  20-21  and  help  to  save  the  Park. 


A HIGH  PRICE  TO  PAY  FOR  WATER. 

APROPOS  OF  THE  GRANT  OF  THE  HETCH-HETCHY  VALLEY  TO  SAN  FRANCISCO  FOR 

A RESERVOIR. 

[Editorial  in  the  Century  Magazine,  Aug^ust,  1908.] 

Of  this  great  park  reservation,  which  is  as  large  as  the  State  of  Rhode  Island, 
the  northern  third — for  the  watershed  of  the  valley  even  above  the  Tuolumne 
Meadows  must  go  with  the  valley  itself — is  to  be  withdrawn  from  the  use  of  the 
people  of  the  whole  United  States  and  given  to  the  city  of  San  Francisco.  This 
involves  a new  principle  and  a dangerous  precedent,  and  is  a tremendous  price 
for  the  nation  to  pay  for  San  Francisco’s  water,  and  the  burden  of  proof  that  it 
is  necessary  is  upon  those  who  advocated  the  grant.  It  is  not  enough  that  it 
should  be  thought  merely  desirable. 

[Editorial  in  the  Boston  Transcript,  November  28,  1908.] 

The  case  is  of  interest  to  the  country  because  it  so  vitally  affects  one  of  the 
principal  national  parks  and  because  of  its  connection  with  the  conservation  of 
natural  resources  agitation.  It  is  very  generally  supposed  that  national  parks 
were  established  for  the  purpose  of  preserving  in  a natural  state  some  of  the 
chief  scenic  features  of  our  country,  and  that  once  a park  had  been  established 
it  is  for  all  time  safe  from  any  attack.  Few  ever  suspected  that  it  lay  in  the 
power  of  any  cabinet  officer  to  make  a present  of  a slice  of  one  of  these  national 
properties  to  some  favored  city.  Such  is  the  case,  however,  and  if  these  parks 
are  to  be  in  fact  held  sacred  in  the  future  the  laws  governing  them  must  be 
amended.  If  the  people  believe  that  these  lands  should  be  set  aside  for  the 
preservation  of  their  scenic  charms  and  to  furnish  recreation  grounds  for  the 
public  amid  these  uplifting  surroundings,  then  it  is  time  for  the  individual 
citizen  to  bestir  himself  and  as  an  individual  and  through  organizations  apprise 
the  members  of  Congress  of  this  belief. 

[Editorial  in  Out  West  Magazine.] 

If  there  is  anything  in  the  world  which  should  enlist  the  untiring  effort  of 
every  true  Californian,  it  is  the  preservation  of  our  Yosemites.  . . . 

The  very  thing  that  makes  the  Yosemites  glorious  to  every  traveler  that  sees 
them,  naturally  appeals  to  the  corporation  hunting  for  a reservoir.  It  is  perhaps 
not  curious  that  God  Almighty  knows  as  much  as  our  civil  engineers  know.  A 
reservoir  which  should  fill  the  Yosemite  would  be  adequate  to  give  all  the  baths, 
and  all  the  fresh  water  drinks  taken  and  to  be  taken  by  all  the  grafters  and  all 
the  decent  persons  in  San  Francisco.  But  nobody  will  ever  dam  the  well-known 
Yosemite.  If  we  permit  anybody  to  dam  the  Hetch-Hetchy,  may  we  be  able  to 
die  before  our  children  and  grand-children  rise  up  to  tell  us  to  our  face  what 
vandals  and  scrubs  we  were. 

The  whole  thing  is  absolutely  wanton.  Out  of  this  tremendous  and  alpine 
watershed  there  is  no  trouble  as  to  the  supplying  of  all  the  Golden  State  without 
a single  vandalism  or  destroying  something  which  belongs  to  the  whole  world. 
The  more  we  of  California  can  realize  that  our  big  trees,  our  Yosemites,  our 
climate,  belong  to  the  world  as  long  as  there  shall  be  one,  the  better  we  shall 
do  for  ourselves  and  for  our  children. 

A city  must  have  water.  There  is  no  question  about  that.  . . . There  is  always 
a way  to  get  water.  We  have  had  a similar  example  in  the  case  of  Niagara 
Falls.  It  is  a question  whether  Buffalo,  New  York,  can  peddle  the  falls  out  to 
manufacturers  and  kill  them  off  for  the  whole  world.  The  overwhelming 
sentiment,  not  only  of  the  foreign  world  but  of  America,  has  been  that  the  falls 
must  be  preserved.  The  overwhelming  sentiment  of  California  and  of  the 
world  will  be  that  our  Yosemites  must  be  preserved.  It  is  simply  a question 
of  harnessing  this  public  opinion  in  time. 

The  matter  is  at  an  acute  stage.  The  dollar-minded  people  are  working  for 
this  robbery  of  a State  of  its  glory  and  its  worth  to  the  world,  in  order  to  p’U 
water  into  San  Francisco.  Anybody  American  enough  ought  to  object  to  this 
sort  of  infamy. — CJias.  F.  Lummis. 

DESTROYING  A NATIONAL  PARK. 

. engineers  declare  that  there  are  a number  of  Sierra  streams,  anv  one  of 
which  could  satisfy  the  city’s  needs.  . . . Many  people  who  appreciate  ll>c  great 
natural  wonders  of  this  country  have  petitioned  their  Representatives  at  Wasbing- 
ton  to  vote  against  the  measure.  . . .” — Harper's  Weekly,  September  4,  1909. 

Read  carefully  pp.  20-21  and  help  to  save  the  Park. 


19 


HOW  TO  HELP  TO  PRESERVE  THE  HETCH-HETCHY 
VALLEY  AND  THE  YOSEMITE  PARK. 

1.  Write  at  once  to  Hon.  Richard  A.  Ballinger,  Secretary  of  the 
Interior,  Washington,  D.  C.,  requesting  him  to  revoke  the  Garfield 
permit  to  flood  the  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley. 

2.  Send  a copy  of  the  letter  to  President  William  H.  Taft. 

3.  See  personally  if  possible,  or  write  to,  the  Senators  and  Congress- 
men from  your  State,  and  as  many  others  as  you  can  reach,  requesting 
them  to  vigorously  oppose  any  bill  having  for  its  object  the  confirmation 
of  the  Garfield  permit  to  flood  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley,  and  request  them 
to  favor  legislation  designed  to  protect  our  parks  from  invasion,  and 
particularly  to  favor  improving  the  Yosemite  Park.  After  December 
I,  1909,  address  them  either  “Senate  Chamber”  or  “House  of  Repre- 
sentatives,” Washington,  D.  C. 

4.  After  December  ist  write  to  each  member  of  the  Public  Lands 
Committees  of  both  the  Senate  and  the  House,  Washington,  D.  C., 
requesting  them  to  oppose  any  and  all  legislation  having  for  its  object 
the  destruction  of  the  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  and  to  favor  any  legisla- 
tion designed  to  protect  the  parks.  Write  to  all  if  you  can,  but  if  yon 
cannot,  at  least  write  to  the  Chairman  of  each  committee.  (The  names 
of  the  members  of  the  committees  will  be  found  on  the  opposite  page.) 

5.  Get  as  many  of  your  friends  as  possible  to  write.  Remember ! 
every  letter  and  every  protest  counts. 

6.  Interest  your  newspapers  and  get  them  to  publish  editorials  and 
news  items  and  send  copies  to  your  Senators  and  Representatives. 

7.  Send  the  names  and  addresses  of  any  persons  who  would  be  inter- 
ested in  receiving  this  pamphlet  to  “Society  for  the  Preservation  of 
National  Parks,  302  Mills  Building,  San  Francisco,  Cal.” 

EDITORS  are  respectfully  requested  to  write  brief  editorials  and 
news  items  informing  the  public  and  calling  on  them  to  write  to 
their  Congressmen  and  Senators  and  protest. 

CLUBS  should  send  copies  of  resolutions  they  may  adopt  to  Pres- 
ident Taft,  Secretary  Ballinger,  and  each  member  of  the  Public 
Lands  Committees,  and  the  Senators  and  Representatives  from  their 
State. 

FUNDS  ARE  NEEDED  to  carry  on  this  fight.  A few  have  gen- 
erously carried  the  burden  of  expense  connected  with  the  issuance  of 
this  literature,  but  more  money  is  required  to  spread  information. 
Those  who  would  like  to  render  pecuniary  assistance  may  send  their 
contributions  to  John  Muir,  President  of  Society  for  the  Preservation 
of  National  Parks,  302  Mills  Building,  San  Francisco,  Cal. 

WHERE  TO  OBTAIN  INFORMATION  CONCERNING  THE  PROPOSED  UNNECES- 
SARY DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  FINEST  HALF  OF  THE 
YOSEMITE  NATIONAL  PARK. 

Putnam’s  Magazine,  May,  1909.  “Camping  Above  the  Yosemite,”  by  Harriet  Monroe,  pp.  221-6. 
The  World  To-Day,  May,  1909.  “The  Hetch-Hetchy,”  by  F.  M.  Fultz,  pp.  524-530.  _ 

World’s  Work,  April,  1909.  Editorial  and  article  entitled,  “San  Francisco  Against  the  Nation.” 
Suburban  Life,  March,  1909.  Article  entitled  “Despoiling  the  Hetch-Hetchy,”  by  Wm.  F. 
Bade,  pp.  117-118. 

Outlook  (N.  Y.)  January  30,  1909.  Editorial,  pp.  234-236;  Article  entitled  “Dismembering 
Your  National  Park,”  by  R.  U.  Johnson,  pp.  252-3. 

Outlook  (N.  Y.)  February  13,  1909.  Editorial,  pp.  3 30-331  • 

The  Independent  (N.  Y.)  May  14,  1908.  “The  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley,”  pp.  1079-1084. 


20 


Read  carefully  pp.  20-21  and  help  to  save  the  Park. 


Members  of  the  Public  Lands  Com- 
mittee OF  THE  Senate. 


Hon.  John  H.  Bankhead 
“ Geo.  E.  Chamberlain 
“ Clarence  D.  Clark 
“ Jefferson  Davis 
“ Joseph  M.  Dixon 
“ Frank  P.  Flint 
“ Robert  J.  Gamble 
“ Weldon  B.  Heyburn 
“ Martin  N.  Johnson* 
“ Wesley  J.  Jones 
“ Samuel  D.  McEnery 
“ Knute  Nelson  (Ch.) 
“ FrancisG.Newlands 
“ Robert  L.  Owen 
“ Reed  Smoot 
*Deceased 


Fayette,  Ala. 
Portland,  Or. 
Evanston,  Wyo. 
Little  Rock,  Ark. 
Missoula,  Mont. 
Los  Angeles,  Cal. 
Yankton,  So.  Dak. 
Wallace,  Idaho 
Petersburg,  N.Dak. 
No.  Yakima,  Wash. 
New  Orleans,  La. 
Alexandria,  Minn. 
Reno,  Nev. 
Muskogee,  Okla. 
Provo  TTtah 


Members  of  Public  Lands  Commit- 
tee, House  of  Representatives. 


Hon.  Wm.  H.  Andrews 
“ Adam  M.  Byrd 
“ Wm.  B.  Craig 
“ Chas.  A.  Crow 
“ Scott  Ferris 
“ Asle  J.  Gronna 
“ Thos.  R.  Hamer 
“ Dudley  M.  Hughes 
“ Eben  W.  Martin 
“ F.W.  MondelKCh.) 
“ Dick  T.  Morgan 
“ Herbert  Parsons 
“ Chas.  E.  Pickett 
“ Chas.  N.  Pray 
“ Geo.  W.  Rauch 
‘ John  M.  Reynolds 
Joseph  T.  Robinson 
“ Sylvester  C.  Smith 
“ Edward  T.  Taylor 
“ Andrew  J.  Volstead 


Santa  Fe,  N.  M. 
Philadelphia,  Miss. 
Selma,  Ala. 
Caruthersville,  Mo. 
Lawton,  Okla. 
Lakota,  No.  Dak. 

St.  Anthony,  Idaho 
Danville,  Ga. 
Deadwood,  So.  Dak. 
Newcastle,  Wyo. 
Woodward,  Okla. 
New  York 
Waterloo,  la. 

Ft.  Benton,  Mont. 
Marion,  Ind. 
Bedford,  Penn. 
Lonoke,  Ark. 
Bakersfield,  Cal. 
Glenwood  Spgs.,Col. 
Granite  Falls,  Minn. 


It  is  particularly  urgent  that  you  impress  the  members  of  the  Public  Lands 
Committees  from  your  State  with  the  importance  of  opposing  any  bill  granting 
the  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  to  San  Francisco.  See  them  personally  if  possible, 
write  to  them  and  send  resolutions  to  them.  After  December  ist  address  them, 
“Senate  Chamber”  or  “House  of  Representatives,”  Washington,  D.  C. 


HON 

House  of  Representatives  or  Senate  Chamber,  (as  the  case  may  be) 
Washington,  D.  C. 

Sir  : — Our  national  parks  are  already  too  few  in  number.  We  are  vitally 
interested  in  preserving  intact  those  now  existing.  We  earnestly  protest  against 
the  destruction  of  any  of  the  wonderful  scenery  of  the  Yosemite  National  Park 
and  urge  you  to  oppose  any  bill  which  will  permit  San  Francisco  to  use  Hetch- 
Hetchy  as  a municipal  water  tank.  Strengthen  our  park  laws  instead  of  allowing 
them  to  be  overriden.  Very  truly. 


(Write  letters  similar  to  the  foregoing  in  your  own  language  and  in  accord- 
ance with  your  own  ideas.) 

Whereas  : The  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  is  one  of  the  grandest  and  most  important 
features  of  the  great  Yosemite  National  Park  belonging  to  the  ninety  millions 
of  people  composing  the  American  public ; 

Whereas:  This  valley  is  threatened  with  destruction  by  those  seeking  a water 
supply  for  San  Francisco  and  the  use  of  the  park  by  the  public  would  thereby  be 
seriously  restricted ; 

Whereas:  The  precedent  thus  established  would  destroy  the  integrity  of  our 
whole  national  park  system ; 

Whereas:  The  need  for  great  public  playgrounds  is  becoming  vastly  greater 
instead  of  diminishing; 

Whereas:  Eminent  engineers  report  that  this  proposed  invasion  of  a national 
wonderland  is  wholly  unnecessary  and  that  San  Francisco  can  get  an  abundance 
of  pure  water  elsewhere ; 

Now  Therefore  he  it  Resolved:  That  we  are  earnestly  opposed  to  such  a 
needless  local  use  of  a priceless  national  possession  in  which  the  entire  citizenship 
is  interested,  and  we  petition  the  President  and  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  to 
revoke  the  revocable  permit  now  existing  and  urge  all  Senators  and  Repre- 
sentatives, especially  those  composing  the  Public  Lands  Committees,  to  defeat 
any  bill  which  proposes  to  confirm  any  such  invasion ; and  that  a copy  of  this 
resolution  be  sent  to  the  President,  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  our  repre- 
sentatives in  Congress  and  to  the  members  of  the  Public  Lands  Committees. 

(Clubs  should  adopt  resolutions  similar  to  the  foregoing.) 

“The  national  parks — all  too  few  in  number  and  extent — ought  to  be  held 
absolutely  inviolate,  as  intended  by  Congress.  Intrusions  for  questionable  water- 
supply  needs,  against  the  unselfish  protests  of  those  whose  love  of  country 
cannot  be  impugned,  should  not  be  permitted.” — /.  Horace  McFarland. 


Read  carefully  pp.  20-21  and  help  to  save  the  Park. 


21 


VIEWS  OF  MEMBERS  OF  THE  COMMITTEE  OF  PUBLIC 
LANDS  OF  THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES. 

‘T  am  of  the  opinion  that  the  city  has  failed  to  establish  its  contention 
that  the  Hetch-Hetchy  is  the  only  reasonably  available  source  of  water 
supply  in  the  Sierras,  and  that,  therefore,  the  interests  of  the  people  of 
all  the  country  should  be  waived  on  behalf  of  San  Francisco  in  its 
claim  to  exclusive  use  of  this  valley.” — F.  W.  Mondell,  Scott  Ferris, 
IV.  B.  Craig,  Jno.  M.  Reynolds,  D.  W.  Hamilton. 

'‘We  are  opposed  to  this  resolution  in  its  present  form,  as  it  does  not 
sufficiently  guard  public  interests.  We  believe  that  its  passage  will 
eventually  exclude  the  public  from  the  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  and  the 
Tuolumne  Canon,  and  we  are  not  willing  that  that  should  be  done,  as 
it  does  not  appear  that  it  is  necessary  for  the  city  of  San  Francisco 
to  obtain  this  property  for  a water  supply. 

“It  appears  from  the  testimony  given  by  the  committee  appointed 
by  the  city  to  urge  this  resolution  before  this  committee  that  there  are 
other  available  supplies  in  the  Sierras.” — A.  J.  Volstead,  A.  J.  Gronna. 

“The  undersigned  admits  that  if  this  source  is  essential  to  San  Fran- 
cisco the  grant  should  be  made.  But  San  Francisco  has  not  made  out 
a case  showing  that  it  is  essential.  The  testimony  indicates  that  there 
are  a number  of  other  sources.  . . . 

“San  Francisco  is  in  an  enviable  situation  for  water  supply.  It  has 
all  the  Sierras,  with  their  mountain  snows  and  lakes  to  draw  upon. 
There  are  no  less  than  sixteen  different  systems.  . . . 

“The  fact  of  the  matter  is  that  San  Francisco,  having  its  eye  on  the 
Hetch-Hetchy,  has  not  thoroughly  investigated  other  systems.  . . . 

“Certainly  the  Federal  Government  is  not  bound  to  give  up  to  San 
Francisco  two  fifths  of  a national  park  simply  because  it  is  cheaper. 
Why  is  it  cheaper?  It  is  cheaper  because,  having  been  made  a national 
park,  it  has  not  been  possible  for  private  interests  to  file  upon  the  water 
in  the  same  manner  that  they  could  have  if  there  had  not  been  a national 
park.  Had  private  interests  been  allowed  to  file  upon  the  water,  San 
Francisco  would  not  have  thought  of  going  to  Hetch-Hetchy  any  more 
than  to  any  other  place.  It  would  have  chosen  the  place  that  it  most 
cheaply  could  have  condemned.  It  goes  to  Hetch-Hetchy  mainly  be- 
cause it  is  cheajTst.  Hetch-Hetchy  is  cheapest  because  it  belongs  to  all 
the  people  instea  l of  to  some  of  the  people.  It  has  been  preserved  and 
made  cheap  because  the  purpose  was  to  use  it  as  a national  park.  Hav- 


Cineinnafi,  O.  TET.EGRAM.  Nov.  18,  1909. 

Resolution  passed  by  the  Ameriean  Civic  Association,  Thursday,  Nov.  18, 
1909,  recognizing  the  T»-isdom  of  the  Congress  in  setting  aside  for  public  use  the 
great  national  parks  and  believing  that  any  aA^jidable  interference  with  the 
scenic  integrity  of  these  parks  is  In  the  highest  degree  undesirable,  the  Ameri- 
can Civic  Association  in  convention  assembled  urges  the  Secretary  of  the  In- 
terior to  revoke  the  permit  and  the  Congress  to  refuse  to  confirm  such  permit 
under  which  the  city  of  San  Francisco  is  assuming  to  control  eventually  for  a 
domestic  water  supply  more  than  five  hundred  square  miles  of  the  best  of  the 
Yosemltel  National  Park,  unless  after  a full  and  Impartial  inquiry  it  shall  be 
shown  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  Congress  that  no  other  suificient  source  of 
water  supply  is  available  to  San  Francisco.  We  further  respectfully  represent 
that  the  granting  and  confirmation  of  such  a permit  to  invade  the  public  do- 
main would  create  a most  dangerous  precedent  under  which  other  scenic  pos- 
sessions of  the  United  States  would  he  unsafe  from  individual  or  corporate 
assault.  J HORACE  McFARUAND,  Pres.  RICHARD  D.  WATROUS,  Secy. 


22 


Read  carefully  fp.  20-21  and  help  to  save  the  Park. 


ing  been  made  cheap  in  that  manner,  San  Francisco  now  desires  to  use 
it  for  itself  by  spoiling  the  very  purpose  which  has  made  it  cheap.  . . . 

“I  believe  that  we  owe  it  to  all  the  people  to  preserve  Hetch-Hetchy 
uninterfered  with  for  the  use  and  enjoyment  of  all  the  people  and  to 
carry  out  the  policy  intended  when  it  was  included  within  the  boun- 
daries of  the  Yosemite  National  Park.” — Herbert  Parsons. 

YOSEMITE  NATIONAL  PARK. 


3.  The  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  is  a wonderfully  exact  counterpart  of  the 
great  Yosemite. 

4.  The  Grand  Canon  of  the  Tuolumne  is  one  of  the  finest  canons  in  America 
with  its  wonderful  cascades  and  waterfalls  and  tremendous  cliffs  and  walls. 

2.  “The  upper  Tuolumne  Valley  is  the  widest,  smoothest,  most  serenely 
spacious,  and  in  every  way  the  most  delightful  pleasure  park  in  all  the  High 
Sierra.” — John  Muir. 

The  shaded  portion  represents  substantially  the  area  of  the  Tuolumne 
drainage  which  would  be  affected  by  the  Hetch-Hetchy  grant. 


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WAPAMA  OR  HETCH-HETCHY  FALL. 


“IT  IS  THE  COUNTERPART  OF  THE  YOSEMITE  FALL,  BUT  HAS  A MUCH 
GREATER  VOLUME  OF  WATER,  IS  ABOUT  1,700  FEET  IN  HEIGHT,  AND  APPEARS 
TO  BE  NEARLY  VERTICAL  THOUGH  CONSIDERABLY  INCLINED,  AND  IS  DASHED 
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SOUTH  WALL.”— /o/fH  Muir.  Photo  by  Herbert  W.  Gleason. 


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the  preservation  of  Niagara  Falls,  and  has  had  much  to  do  with  the  establishment  of  Federal  control  over  the 
American  portion  of  the  cataract.  We  have  had  also  to  take  interest  in  other  important  national  scenic  possessions, 
notably  the  Grand  Canyon  of  the  Colorado. 

Under  this  branch  of  our  activities,  there  was  presented  at  our  last  annual  convention,  held  in  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  in  November,  1909,  a strong  argument  relating  to  the  preservation  of  that  portion  of  the  Yosemite  National 


1^^ Prompt  Attention  and  Action  Desired,  in  regard  to  the 

SAVING  FOR  ALL  THE  PUBLIC  of  that  portion  of  the  Yosemite 
National  Park  known  as  the  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley. 

J.  Horace  McFarland,  President,  Harrisburg,  Pa.  William  R.  Howland,  Treasurer,  New  York 

Clinton  Rogers  Woodruff,  First  VicC' Preside nt,  Philadelphia  Richard  B.  Watrous,  Secretary,  Washington,  1).  C 


^mntcan  Ctbir  .^^sonatton 


MAIN  OFFICE:  WASHINGTON,  D.  C. 

To  Members  of  the  American  Civic  Association: 


May  12,  iQio. 


Your  vigorous,  intelligent  and  spirited  action  has  been  for  five  years  the  safe- 
guard of  Niagara  Falls  for  all  the  people.  You  are  now  asked  to  act  in  protection 
of  another  scenic  glory  of  the  United  States. 

The  accompanying  pamphlet,  issued  and  furnished  by  the  Society  for  the 
Preservation  of  National  Parks,  gives  the  details.  You  are  directed  particularly 
to  John  Muir’s  letter  on  page  i and  to  the  “ Brief  Statement”  on  pages  z and  3. 

At  its  annual  meeting  in  Cincinnati,  in  November,  .1909,  the  American  Civic 
Association  took  action  as  detailed  in  the  “Brief”  which  follows  this.  It  was  in 
response  to  this  action,  and  because  of  a great  mass  of  protest  which  came  to  him, 
that  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  called  a halt,  in  his  “Letter  to  the  Mayor  and 
Supervisors  of  City  and  County  of  San  Francisco,”  under  date  of  February  25,  1910, 
from  which  letter  we  quote  the  fourth  paragraph  : 

In  view  of  the  conclusions  of  Director  Smith,  a copy  of  whose  report  is  herewith  ^ 
attached,  as  to  the  sufficiency  of  the  Lake  Eleanor  reservoir  site  when  fully  developed,  / 

if*  '■'S"'  of  the  importance  of  the  public  interests  involved  in  this  matter,  and  the  4 

UmiB^^^l^ernment  s oDiigation  in  connection  tnefSWTlIl, '1  feel  il  my  (tuty  lu  vuii  uiruii  yua  w -j 

show  why  the  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  and  reservoir  site  should  not  be  eliminated  from 
I said  permit.  i 

A hearing  has  been  set  for  May  18,  1910,  at  which  both  sides  will  be  he.ard. 
You  are  urged  to  write  AT  ONCE  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  affirming  the 
position  taken  by  your  officers  in  the  “Brief”  which  follows.  He  should  know 
that  these  priceless  scenic  possessions  of  all  the  people  must  not  be  diverted  from 
all  the  people  without  exhaustive  investigation. 

Write  at'  once,  and  have  your  friends  write.  Letters  will  be  useful  that  reach 
Washington  even  as  late  as  May  23  ; but  it  is  very  desirable  to  make  the  demon- 
stration impressive  about  May  18.  Get  your  newspaper  interested.  Act ! 


American  Civic  Association 


J.  HORACE  McFarland,  President 
RICHARD  B.  WATROUS,  Secretary 
WILLIAM  B.  HOWLAND,  Treasurer 


BRIEF  OF  THE  AMERICAN  CIVIC  ASSOCIATION  IN  RELATION  TO  THE 
HETCH-HETCHY  VALLEY 

Hon.  Richard  A.  Ballinger,  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  April  2g,  IQIO. 

Washington,  D.  C. 

Sir:  The  American  Civic  Association  is  a voluntary  philanthropic  organization  including  a widespread  mem- 
bership, and  is  devoted  not  only  to  the  improvement  of  living  conditions  in  American  communities,  but  to  the 
preservation  of  such  great  scenic  possessions  of  the  United  States  as  tend  to  strongly  influence  the  national  life. 

In  pursuance  of  this  last  mentioned  aim,  the  Association  has  had  occasion  to  conduct  a national  campaign  for 
the  preservation  of  Niagara  Falls,  and  has  had  much  to  do  with  the  establishment  of  Federal  control  over  the 
American  portion  of  the  cataract.  We  have  had  also  to  take  interest  in  other  important  national  scenic  possessions, 
notably  the  Grand  Canyon  of  the  Colorado. 

Under  this  branch  of  our  activities,  there  was  presented  at  our  last  annual  convention,  held  in  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  in  November,  1909,  a strong  argument  relating  to  the  preservation  of  that  portion  of  the  Yosemite  National 


Park  known  as  the  lletch-Hetchy  Valley.  After  full  discussion  and  careful  consideration,  in  which  both  sides  of  the 
matter  were  presented,  the  following  resolution  was  unanimously  passed  and  telegraphed  to  you  : 

" Recognizing  the  wisdom  of  the  Congress  in  setting  aside  for  public  use  the  great  national  parks,  and  believing 
that  any  avoidable  interference  with  the  scenic  integrity  of  these  parks  is  in  the  highest  degree  undesirable,  the 
American  Civic  Association,  in  Convention  assembled,  urges  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  to  revoke  the  permit,  and 
the  Congress  to  refuse  to  conlirm  such  permit,  under  which  the  city  of  San  Francisco  is  assuming  to  control  eventu- 
ally, for  a domestic  water-supply,  more  than  live  hundred  square  miles  of  the  best  of  the  Yosemite  National  Park, 
unless  after  a full  and  impartial  inquiry  it  shall  be  shown  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  Congress  that  no  other  sufficient 
source  of  water-supply  is  available  to  San  Francisco. 

“ W'e  further  respectfully  represent  that  the  granting  and  confirmation  of  such  a permit  to  invade  the  public 
domain  would  create  a most  dangerous  precedent,  under  which  other  scenic  possessions  of  the  United  States  would 
be  unsafe  from  individual  or  corporate  assault.” 

In  line  with  this  resolution,  we  have  been  glad  to  note  the  action  evidenced  in  your  letter  to  the  Mayor  and 
Supervisors  of  City  and  County  of  San  Francisco,  California,  under  date  of  February  25,  1910. 

Having  been  formally  advised  that  you  have  appointed  a hearing  upon  this  matter,  at  the  request  of  the  authori- 
ties of  the  city  of  San  Francisco,  for  May  18,  1910,  and  that  you  desire  statements  submitted  in  advance,  we  briefly 
present  our  views : 

1.  -No  higher  use  for  water  can  be  recognized  than  that  it  shall  be  devoted,  in  the  purest  possible  form,  to  the 
purposes  of  a domestic  water-supply.  This  we  admit,  and  this  position  we  have  steadily  maintained. 

2.  It  is  essential,  however,  that  such  use  of  water  for  the  purposes  of  a domestic  supply  shall  include  either  a 
complete  safeguard  of  the  surroundings  of  its  gathering  and  storing,  to  the  end  that  it  shall  be  practically  pure  when 
it  reaches  consumers,  or  that  means  shall  be  introduced  for  its  satisfactory  purification  immediately  before  use.  It  is 
known  that  the  average  water-supply  of  American  cities  is  not  at  all  satisfactory,  or  indeed  humane,  in  this  respect, 
and  that  many  deaths  annually  occur  from  water-borne  diseases  because  of  carelessness  or  inadequacy  in  the  control 
or  handling  of  domestic  water-supplies. 

3.  Only  less  important  than  its  use  in  a pure  state  for  human  consumption  is  the  influence  of  water  in  scenery 
upon  human  regeneration.  Every  man  is  the  witness  in  himself  as  to  the  effect  upon  his  consciousness  of  the  sight  of 
a great  body  of  water,  or  of  a cataract,  or  of  scenery  in  which  water  forms  an  essential  part.  The  vast  expenditures 
Or  travel  to  view  great  scenery  ; the  known  effect  on  human  efficiency,  and  the  saving  of  life  itself,  through  general 
access  co  great  scenery,  usually  connected  with  water  in  some  form,  need  but  mention  to  any  thoughtful  man.  Thus, 
we  assert,  the  \alue  to  all  the  people  of  scenery  in  which  water  bears  an  important  part  is  only  second  to  the  value 
of  water  in  its  relation  to  the  needs  of  the  human  body. 

* 4.  Thj;pugh  data. previously  obtained  by^this  Association,  and  particularly  through  the  statements  in  a letter 

a^resiea  ^ yoti^oy  tjcorge  Otis  Siuitii,  Dire'etor  of  tfie  Geological  Survey,  under  date  of  February  25,  1910,  it  is 
mlde  to  appear,  first,  that  the  city  of  San  Francisco  has  not  shown  that  she  can  obtain  a practicable  and  sanitary 
water-supply  nowhere  else  than  in  the  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  of  the  Yosemite  National  Park  ; second,  that  she  has  not 
shown  the  insufficiency  of  that  portion  of  the  supply  which  she  was  authorized  to  immediately  develop  under  the 
perm’.x  of  your  predecessor,  Hon.  James  R.  Garfield,  dated  May  11,  1908:  and,  third,  that  the  proper  domestic  use 
of  the  water-supply  involved  in  the  control  of  the  Tuolumne  River  in  the  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  will  inevitably  require 
the  separation  and  control  of,  and  therefore  the  exclusion  of  the  public  from,  the  whole  drainage  area  of  the  Tuolumne 
River,  including  approximately  half  of  the  Yosemite  National  Park. 

5.  Through  the  testimony  of  men  of  national  reputation,  including  John  Muir,  Robert  Underwood  Johnson, 
and  others  from  whom  you  have  heard  and  doubtless  will  hear  directly,  through  statements  made  years  ago  in  the 
publications  of  the  Geological  Survey,  and  through  the  further  testimony  of  your  own  recent  personal  inspection  and 
that  of  Director  Smith  and  the  Engineers  of  the  Reclamation  Service  designated  for  the  purpose,  it  is  made  evident 
that  the  scenic  features  of  the  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  are  of  vast  value  to  the  whole  American  people,  and  should  not 
be  made  inaccessible  to  the  people  except  under  the  proven  necessity  of  the  requirement  first  mentioned  in  this  brief. 

6.  It  is  not  shown  in  any  of  the  data  submitted  so  far  by  the  city  of  San  Francisco  that  it  is  proposed  to  filter 
the  water  of  the  Tuolumne  River  before  use,  and  some  of  the  arguments  and  testimony  accessible  to  the  public  show 
that  it  has  been  at  times  proposed  that  the  impounding  reservoir  in  the  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  should  be  made  acces- 
sible as  a pleasure  lake,  thus  introducing  the  serious  element  of  danger  from  human  pollution.  It  is  our  insistence 
that  there  can  be  no  safe  middle  ground  in  connection  with  a domestic  water-supply.  Either  the  water-shed  gathering 
a water-supply  to  be  used  without  proper  filtration  must  be  kept  free  from  intrusion  by  means  of  a careful  and  con- 
tinuous patrol,  in  order  that  useless  waste  of  human  life  may  be  prevented,  or  the  water  must  be  filtered  immediately 
before  use,  by  an  improved  method. 

7.  In  view  of  all  these  conditions,  and  particularly  in  view  of  the  findings  of  the  Director  of  the  Geological 

Survey,  as  evidenced  in  his  letter  to  you  dated  February,  25,  1910,  and  further  because  the  Yosemite  National  Park 
was  once  fully  set  aside  by  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  for  public  use  “ forever,”  which  setting  aside  would 
be  largely  nullified  should  the  whole  contention  of  San  Francisco  prevail,  we  now  respectfully  urge  that  the  permit 
granted  by  your  predecessor,  Hon.  James  R.  Garfield,  under  date  of  May  1 1,  1908,  be  revoked  in  so  far  as  it  relates 
to  the  development  of  what  is  known  as  the  Hetch-Hetchy  site  in  the  Yosemite  National  Park,  and  that  San  Francisco 
be  confined  to  the  development  of  the  Lake  Eleanor  site  mentioned  in  the  same  permit,  and  be  stopped  from  any 
interference,  now  or  in  the  future,  with  the  scenic  features  of  the  Hetch-Hetchy  Valley  as  a portion  of  the  Yosemite 
National  Park.  Respectfully  submitted 

American  Civic  Association 

By 

J.  HORACE  McFarland,  President 
RICHARD  B.  WATROUS,  Secretary 


ii^"Prompt  Attention  and  Action  Desired,  in  regard  to  the 

SAVING  FOR  ALL  THE  PUBLIC  of  that  portion  of  the  Yosemite 


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